If there's a Will, there's a way
by astralluna
Summary: After the war with Gaea, Nico finally found a home within Camp Half-Blood and among his friends. He was finally learning that, for once, it was okay to break down some of the walls he had built up throughout his life. However, ever since his horrifying experience in Tartarus, Nico doesn't believe he can ever be whole again. Can Will change that? Or will Nico's fear consume him?
1. Chapter 1

"And where do you think you're going? "

"To raise an army of the undead, _obviously_!"

"Oh, no you don't! You are in no condition to-"

"It's been _three weeks_ Will! I'm fine! Stop following me around like I'm about to faint any second!"

"You _are_ going to faint any second if you don't rest!"

Will Solace, a son of Apollo, was relentless in his pursue to make sure the son of Hades got some much needed rest. Nico di Angelo was many things, even patient when he needed to be, but the Apollo healer was really pushing it.

"Hey, _wait_!"

Nico stopped and turned to face Will. He always felt strange whenever he was with Will. Just seeing him filled Nico's stomach with butterflies, which he didn't understand why. However, he had to admit to himself that Will was a pleasant sight to see. Will has a body like a surfer, much like his father, Apollo. He has shaggy blond hair and sky blue eyes. He looks similar to Jason Grace, except for the surfer-body and with longer, messier hair. Will also has an athletic build. He was dressed casually in a Camp Half-Blood t-shirt and shorts. His expression was nothing short of unconcealed irritation. He huffed and crossed his arms as he stared back at Nico.

Nico didn't dress to impress either. After his aviator's jacket and skull-pattern shirt were torn to shreds in his _spectacular_ adventure in Puerto Rico, he was forced to wear an embarrassing tropical Puerto Rican shirt, with decorated parrots and palm trees, and with Isla del Encantorico written on it. Will had to admit that seeing the Ghost King wearing a bright, tropical shirt like he was about to go vacationing at a resort was an enlightening experience. He can only imagine how humiliating that must have been for Nico to wear such a thing. But alas, all great experiences had to end sooner or later. After the war with Gaea was over and everything had settled down, Nico replaced his Puerto Rican shirt with a Camp-Half Blood shirt. Nico was all ready to tear that embarrassing shirt to shreds and burn it, but Coach Hedge had stopped him. He said Nico should keep it as a souvenir, which only made Nico want to tear it up even more. So in the end, it was decided that Coach Hedge would keep it in memory of his journey with Nico, and his bravery throughout the war. Nico didn't argue. He just let Coach Hedge take it. As long as that vile clothing was out of his sight, he would be fine. He still wore his black jeans with his Stygian iron sword strapped to his side on his chain belt. The pure ebony blade that can raise the dead, and emits the aura of darkness and death. He also wears a skull ring that he received from his father, Hades. Other than that, Nico had unruly, messy pitch-black hair as if he just got out of bed. He had olive green eyes with dark spots under them, like he hasn't slept well in a few days. His skin was ghostly pale, and his cheeks were sunken in a little. Nico looked much worse during the war, and it hurt Will seeing him like that. After the war, Will demanded Nico to stay at the infirmary for at least 3 days to heal and get him looking less like death incarnated with a serious sarcasm disease, and more like a healthy, living human. Although his sarcasm hasn't lessen a bit in the slightest, Nico looks a hundred times better than he did then, and that's all thanks to Will. To be honest, Nico had to be one of, if not, the most stubborn patient Will has ever had. It certainly wasn't helping the fact that Nico stood here and continued to be stubborn.

Nico sent him a glare that would have made anyone, save maybe Percy or even Jason, freeze on the spot and break out in a cold sweat. However, Will didn't so much as flinch and, instead, held his gaze.

What's with this guy?

Everybody is scared of Nico. Everybody feels uneasy or nervous around him. And they should be. He's the son of Hades, God of the Underworld. He can summon an army of the undead whenever he wanted. He can rip apart the ground and have the condemned souls of Asphodel suck the very life out of anyone and drag them to Tartarus in the blink of an eye. He's the epitome of death and sorrow. No one would even want to come within ten miles of him. No one...except Will.

"What do you want, Solace?"

Will looked at him with an annoyed expression, but Nico could see the worry in his eyes.

"Don't give me that attitude! All I'm trying to do is help you, and here you are just pushing me away and shrugging off my efforts at helping you." Will waved his arms around in an exasperated fashion.

"I didn't ask for your help."

Only after saying that did he realized it came out a little too harsh. Will had a hurt expression on his face, and Nico mentally slapped himself for that. Then he questioned why he even cared. Since when did he care if he acted cold towards someone?

"Fine...if that's how you feel." The hurt was apparent in Will's voice as he dropped his gaze to the ground. That made Nico feel even worse.

Will turned around, and began to walk away. Nico cursed himself.

"Wait!" Nico said, and was there a slight hint of desperation in his voice? Impossible.

Will stopped and turned around to face him. Nico didn't understand why he felt guilty, and it irritated him. He shouldn't care so much...but he did, and that just irritated him even more.

"I'm sorry."

Will blinked and just stared at him. He just kept staring and staring at Nico for what felt like hours. Nico guessed Will didn't hear him, so he tried again.

"I said I'm sorry."

Again, Will just kept staring at Nico without uttering a single word. Nico's patience was wearing thin. Will's blank stare was nerve racking. If he didn't say anything, Nico was going to lose it.

"Say something!", Nico all but screamed at Will, which seemed to have the intended effect. Will seemed to snap out of the dazed state he was in. Will shook his head before he finally looked back at Nico.

Without saying anything, Will just walked towards Nico and raised his hand to place it against Nico's forehead, as if checking his temperature. Nico flinched at the contact and stepped back. The touch sent a warm jolt through his body that he didn't know how to react to.

"What are you doing?!" Nico shouted at Will, being caught off guard by the sudden contact.

"Sorry. It's just...are you okay?" Will asked with a confused, yet worried tone. His expression was no different.

"What? Of course I'm fine! Did you think I was dying or something?" Nico questioned sarcastically. He just went out of his way to apologize to this guy, and

what he gets in return is a blank stare, physical contact, and a stupid question. This is one of the many reasons why Nico didn't apologize to people. All he gets in return is sheer stupidity.

"Well...I just didn't expect you to apologize for being a selfish jerk," Will answered. He didn't bat an eye as Nico sent another death glare at him.

Selfish jerk? Is that what Will thought of him? That Nico was nothing more than someone who would just take advantage of people and only think about himself?

' _Does he really think I'm that ungrateful and shallow_?' Nico thought to himself.

"Hey are you okay?" Will questioned him again, noting Nico's sudden quietness. Nico hardened his gaze at him. Will held his gaze, but felt bad for some reason.

"I'm fine." Nico stated coldly, emotionlessly. He turned around, and started heading back to his cabin. He fully intended on leaving Will standing there like an idiot without so much as a look over his shoulder. He was done with his nonsense. He just wanted to go back to his cabin and do anything if it meant getting away from Will. His presence was making him uneasy, and Nico hated it.

"Wait, Nico! Where are you going?" Will yelled at Nico as he saw him walking away, without so much as a glance back at him. Will felt even worse. He didn't mean to make Nico feel bad or anything. He just wanted to help him. He thought about following him, but decided against it. Nico wouldn't be in the mood to talk. Will finally decided to leave him alone, and turned around to make his way back to his cabin. When he turned his head back to see Nico, he was already gone.


	2. Chapter 2

Nico was laying on his bed trying desperately to rid today's event with Will out of his mind, but to no avail. Nico didn't understand why he couldn't just forget about it and move on. He never lets anything get to him, and he couldn't care less of what others thought of him. so why did Will's words keep coming to the forefront of his mind?

 _'Well...I just didn't expect you to apologize for being a selfish jerk.'_

It wasn't what Will said that has been bugging him. It's the fact that he actually cares for what Will thought of him. And he doesn't understand _why_?! Why does he care so much? Why is he letting it get to him? Why did it hurt more than it should have...?

Nico shook his head and sat up. Something must be seriously wrong with him.

"I'm losing it..."

.

.

.

.

Will's idea was to go back to his cabin and take a nap or something, but he was called back to the infirmary because some Ares kids decided it would be fun to pick a fight with a nymph. Apparently, their only good excuse was that it "looked at them funny." He's been exhausted from all of the work at the infirmary and chasing Nico around all day trying to get him to rest.

Speaking of Nico...

Will felt bad for making Nico upset. He didn't mean for his words to make him feel that way. It's just that Nico never thought about how others felt besides himself. That irritated Will. Couldn't the guy see that there are people who actually wanted to help him? Will barely knew the guy before the whole thing with Gaea, also know as Mother Earth. the first time they ever talked to each other was after the Battle of Manhattan. Will went up to him and congratulated him for his heroic efforts. Nico gave him an upturned lip and said thanks. He congratulated Will for fighting bravely too. that made Will a lot more happy then it should have. Many people came and congratulated him, but Nico's felt more...special. He never thought of Nico as as bad person or anything. He truly believed that they couldn't have won the battle without Nico's help. After all, he was the one who convinced his father to join the battle in order to defeat Kronos. In Will's eyes, that was admiral. He considered Nico a hero as well. Will wanted to help Nico. He wanted him to feel welcomed and at home. Like he truly belonged here, because he did. Nico did belong here at Camp Half-Blood with all of his friends, and with people who care for him, like Will. When he heard Nico say he was going to leave the camp after the war was over and never come back, it felt like someone stabbed Will in the heart with a twisted dagger. It pained him that Nico thought he didn't belong here along with all of the other demigods. Will wanted to change that. He wanted Nico to feel safe here, but most importantly, he wanted Nico to open up to him. Will wanted to learn everything he could about Nico's life. what he has been through, what his fears are, and why he's so detached and isolates from others. Nico was just one big shroud of mystery. He had been cooperative with Will while staying at the infirmary. They became really good friends, and they would joke around, and he even got Nico to smile a little. It was hands down the most beautiful expression Will had ever seen. Like an angel's masterpiece sent directly from heaven just for him. It was only a tiny smile and it only lasted for a few seconds, but Will cherished it. Those moments were precious to him.

But when he tried to get Nico to open up, Nico's calm expression suddenly became defensive and cold. Like his brain sensed a threat and immediately went into self-protect mode. He shrugs off all of Will's attempts to get him to talk about himself. So, after seeing that Nico was getting annoyed, Will just stopped altogether. That doesn't mean Will has given up on ever being able to solve the complicated mystery that is Nico di Angelo.

"Will! We need your help here!" Someone from the other room called.

"Coming!" Will called back

 _'Well, I guess I'll have to find out another way to get him to open up.'_ Will thought before getting up, and heading to the other room where his presence was needed.


	3. Chapter 3

It was dinner time, and everyone was making their way to the dining hall. Each demigod took a seat at their respected tables. Nico didn't feel like getting out of his cabin at all, but there was a knock at his door. When he went to open it, he saw Jason standing there with his hands in his pockets, swaying side to side slightly. when the door opened, Jason stiffened, but then relaxed when he saw Nico. After all the time they spent traveling together, Jason got comfortable being around Nico, and Nico the same.

"Aren't you coming to dinner?" Jason questioned.

"Didn't plan on it. I'm not hungry." Nico replied plainly. It was a half truth. He didn't plan on going, but he was a little hungry.

"I beg to differ. You look like you haven't eaten all day. Is everything okay? Jason asked with concern in his voice.

Nico was getting annoyed with that question. Does everything have to _always_ be okay? Was anything _ever_ okay with him?

"I'm fine. Don't get your panties in a twist. Where's Piper. Shouldn't you be with her, you now, your _girlfriend_?" Nico stated rather coldly with cruel sarcasm laced with it.

Jason's expression turned hard, and his face scrunched up a little in anger and chock. He didn't expect Nico to be in such a bad mood.

"What's your problem all of a sudden? I just came to ask if you wanted to go have some dinner with everyone. Why are you acting like that, anyways?" Jason shot back with an edge to his tone, but he quickly composed himself. it wouldn't be a good idea to put Nico into an even worse mood. He really didn't want to fight with him.

"Nothing. Just forget it." Nico said coldly as he made to shut the door, but was stopped by Jason's foot.

"Look. If something's bugging you then we can talk about it later. I don't want to fight with you Nico. I'm just concerned about you, okay? You're my friend. Let's just forget it for right now, and go grab a bite to eat. Everyone's waiting." Jason said softly, making sure to sound gentle so Nico didn't get provoked.

Nico glared at him, but finally gave in. He was too tired to put up much of a resistance right now, and he was hungry. Maybe some food will make him feel better. Though, he doesn't plan of telling Jason his problems.

"...Fine." Nico said reluctantly. Jason gave him a gentle smile, and stepped back so Nico could come out. After Nico shut his door, they both started walking to the dining hall.

As they were walking, Nico's mind started wandering off somewhere else. First, he started thinking about food. He was so hungry he could probably eat an entire continent if he wanted to. that thought made him start picturing himself as a giant, about 30 feet tall, stomping on all of the mortals like ants, and ripping up the streets and consuming them. then that made him start thinking about the Giants they fought against in the war with Gaea. the he started thinking about the Giants and Titans he saw in Tartarus. Then he started remembering his agonizing, excruciatingly painful trek through Tartarus. Drinking the fiery liquid form the Phlethegon in order to survive. The sulfuric atmosphere that burned his lungs like acid, feeling like they would shrink up and explode form within him. His flesh peeling off form the intense hear of Tartaus's acidic flames. Feeling his bones breaking under the ungodly aura surrounding him, weighing him down and trying to push him down deeper in to nothingness. Seeing Tartarus for what it truly looked like. The rotting, decaying flesh of Tartaus, himself. Feeling his heartbeat pounding all around him as he made his way through Tartarus. Using every once of his willpower to keep his sanity intacted. fighting off the arai while being inflicted by their curses. The blood-curtailing screams of the condemned souls from the Rive of Cocytus, begging to be released from their eternal agony. Fighting a seemingly never-ending army of Titans and Giants, never knowing which sword swing would be his last. Encountering the Goddess of Misery, Akhlys. Being told that he was swallowed up in so much misery and sadness that there was nothing more for her to do. Remembering the feeling of complete and utter hopelessness, unfathomable suffering, and torture. Thinking no one will even miss him-

"Nico! Hey, what are you doing?! Stop it! _Nico_!" Jason shouted at him as Nico finally came back to his senses, and realized that his powers were going out of control. His deathly aura was emitting out of him in dreaded waves of wretched pain and misery. The ground around them had rotten, leaving nothing more than dead, dried up grass and dirt. It was killing everything around him. All of the grass, plants, and trees were dying. Even the very earth beneath them was decaying. His cursed powers were lashing out so strongly that it was creating a gigantic crater where they stood. Everything started resembling death and agony...like his life-

"Nico! You need to calm down! Get a hold of yourself!" Jason was shouting at Nico desperately. Nico's out-of-control aura was weighting down on him, and he could physically feel Nico's anguish and suffocating pain. Jason didn't understand what was going on, but if Nico didn't calm down soon, they were going to be in trouble.

Nico finally snapped out of his bewildered state, and focused on his power and forced it to come back to him. he used his willpower to contain the darkness he was emitting within him. Once he finally got the hang of it, he was bale to will it back within him and cease his unconscious assault. After hat was over, both him and Jason stood their with shocked expressions. Neither one of the m dared to move. Nico was the first one to break the silence.

"Damn, I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean too..." Nico was frightened by what he had done. the area around them, the size of an arena, was just killed doff because Nico lost control for a split second. He let his mind wander for too long, and allow himself to be controlled by his thoughts.

"It's okay, Nico. It's alright, just...are you okay? Is everything under control?" Jason asked cautiously. He doesn't understand what just happened. One second, him and Nico were making their way to the dining pavilion to meet up with their friends, and the next second, he's immediately pushed back a few feet when Nico suddenly went out of control and killed everything around them. He didn't try moving any closer until he was sure Nico was alright. He didn't want to frighten him more then he already was.

Again with that infuriating question. Nico's powers just went out of control, and killed everything around them in a ten mile radius, and Jason has the nerve to asked if everything was okay. Nico was torn between feeling completely terrified by what he had just done, and by feeling insanely furious by Jason's gods damn question.

" _Do I look like I'm fucking okay to you?!_ Do I look like I'm all fine and peachy, and not like I just turned this entire area into ground zero?!" Nico screamed at Jason viciously. Jason flinched at the sudden response, and took another step back. He raised his hands up in surrender. Nico glared daggers at him, and for once, Jason felt like they were real daggers cutting into him. The look in Nico's eyes was nothing but frightened rage and tremendous sadness. Nico was visibly shaking to his core, whether it was form fear or anger or both, Jason did not know.

"I didn't mean it like that. I just-"

"You just _what_?! You just thought that if you asked that dumbass question, everything will just be okay and we can just shake it off like nothing happened?! Well sorry to disappoint you, _Jason_ , but no! No, I'm not okay! Are you happy with my damn answer?!" Nico was seething. He couldn't think clearly, wasn't thinking clearly. But for now, he didn't care. He didn't give a damn anymore.

"Nico..." Jason was at a loss for words. he didn't know what to say to calm Nico down and make him feel better. Nico di Angelo was a terrifying demigod on his own, but when he was angry, it was a whole other story. A voice in Jason's mind was telling him that he should have brought his sword with him, but he push that thought to the back of his mind. he didn't need his sword right now because Nico was his friend, no matter how scary the guy was looking right now.

Nico laughed at Jason's lack of response. Though, there was no humor in his voice. Just dark bitterness.

"Yeah, I thought so. You don't have anything to say, do you? What's wrong, _Son of Jupiter_? Does seeing me like this scare you? Are you having second thoughts about coming here to get me?" Nico questioned Jason sarcastically. His voice had a lethal, venomous tone to it, and his expression was darkness personified. His eyes held no emotion, no light. No room for kindness or gentle persuasion. Just shattered hope and unresolved agony. A black hole would look like a radiant sun next to Nico's cold appearance and expression.

Jason swallowed hard. He didn't like the way Nico's tone sent a shiver down his spine. He didn't like the shattered look in his eyes. Like a man who has lost all meaning to continue on existing in this world. A man who only finds happiness in watching other people cower in fear before him. Jason didn't like this Nico one bit. This was not the Nico di Angelo he knew. The Nico di Angelo that was his friend, and fought alongside him. This was Nico at his breaking point, and Jason _knew_ that. Knew how strong Nico was trying to be, but at the same time wanting nothing more then to break down right then and there. Jason knew he needed to be strong for Nico. He needed to show him that he wasn't afraid of him, and that he trusted Nico. They were friends, after all. With his resolve strengthened, Jason stood up straight and steeled himself.

"Nico, listen. I'm not afraid of you. I have no reason to be afraid of you because you're my friend, and friends aren't afraid of one another. I'm sorry if what I said offended you in any way. I didn't mean for it to. I just want to help you, Nico. Please understand that and calm down. Nothing is going to happen. I won't hurt you or anything. Just take a deep breath and relax." Jason tried his best to sound gentle and soothing. He made sure his tone was soft and friendly so Nico wouldn't lash out at him again.

Nico was trying to calm himself down. He was doing his best to make sure he didn't do something he would end up regretting. He didn't want to hurt Jason in his fit of rage. He never wanted to hurt him. Jason was his friend. He was there when Cupid forced him to reveal his deepest secret of him being gay. Nico thought that Jason would never want to even look at him ever again after that. That Jason would just tell everyone his secret, and he would lose the only friends he had. He was surprised when Jason didn't shun him, but instead, admired him for being brave and strong enough to confess his secret. Jason supported him throughout the entire time, and Nico could never express how grateful he felt for that. How grateful he was to Jason for accepting him. It took every bit of his willpower not to unleash his fury, and cause even more death and destruction. He slowly took a deep breath in and out, until he calmed down enough to regain his focus and composure.

After Nico visibly appeared to have calmed down, Jason relaxed his stance as well. Nico let out a heavy sigh, and rubbed his face with his hands. That outburst completely wore him out, and all he wanted to do was sleep. He ran his hand through his hair before dropping it to his side, and looking up to face Jason. Jason just stood there not saying anything, allowing Nico to break the silence when he was ready. Though Nico didn't feel like talking, he knew he would have to say something sooner or later. He was glad that Jason was giving him time and space to collect his thoughts and sort this whole mess out.

"I'm fine now, really. Thanks for giving me some space, and I'm sorry for that whole outburst and for what I said to you. I didn't mean any of it. I just...lost myself...sorry, again." Nico couldn't look at Jason throughout the whole apology. Guilt and pain was trying to consume him, and he didn't have the courage to look Jason in the eyes at the moment. Even with his glasses on, Jason's blue eyes brought up other images in his mind that he couldn't stop thinking about.

Jason gave Nico a warm smile, and Nico couldn't help but think that that smile would look beautiful on another face.

"It's okay, no hard feelings. I'm just glad that you've calmed down. Let's just forget this mess ever happened. If you feel comfortable talking about it later, then I'm all ears. But until then, I won't push you. It's entirely up to you." Jason said reassuringly with confidence that Nico sometimes envied. He sometimes wished he had the confidence that Jason and Percy seemed to radiate.

Nico gave a small smile of his own, and thanked him again. And just then, as if on cue, his stomach decided to demonstrate the sound of a whale's mating call. Nico quickly wrapped his arms around his stomach, as if that was going to shut up the embarrassing noise. Jason just laughed at that, and Nico sent a halfhearted glare at him.

"Come on, let's go. We're late as it is already. Everyone will be wondering where we are.'" Jason said with an unconcealed chuckle at the end. Nico punch him in the shoulder, but there was no force behind it. And with that, they made their way to the dining hall where all of their friends were waiting.


	4. Chapter 4

By the time they got there, everyone had already made their sacrifice to the gods and started digging in. Percy and Annabeth waved at them from the Posiden table. Originally, the rule was that demigods were not allowed to sit at another demigod's table that didn't belong to them. Athena children sat at the Athena table, Hermes children sat at the Hermes table, and so on. Now, since we came out victorious in the war against Gaea, Mr. D let that rule slide. Though it's technically still in affect. Not many demigods change tables regardless anyways. The Big Three's table were empty because Nico, Percy, and Jason were the only children of the Big Three. Though Percy's cyclops brother, Tyson, usually comes by to visit. He's the only other person who is allowed at the Posiden table. Also, Jason's sister, Thalia Grace, comes by the camp sometimes to visit him and everyone else. She's the only other person allowed to sit at the Zeus table. Besides those two, no one else could sit at those tables. After the war, Annabeth was allowed to sit with Percy at his table, and Piper was allowed to sit with Jason at his table. That also allowed Jason and Nico to eat together, too, so that they didn't feel so alone. Sometimes, Nico, Jason, Piper, Percy, and Annabeth sat together at the Posiden table together. Along with Tyson and Thalia when they were here, too. Tyson works and lives with his father, Posiden, at his underwater palace. He comes by every once and awhile when he has time. Thaila is the second-in-command of the Hunters of Artemis. A group of pure, female maidens that serve the Goddess Artemis, herself, and have been granted immortality. Nico's late sister, Bianca di Angelo, was a member of the Hunters of Artemis, but she died. That had crushed Nico's soul, and it sparked the beginning of his pain. His sister was everything to him. She was all he had when he was young. Bianca understood Nico better than anyone else, and accepted him for who he was. She had died on a mission she went on with Percy, Thalia, and a hunter by the name of Zoe Nightshade to rescue Annabeth who had been captured by the titan Atlas. Nico couldn't get over her death, and would often summon her spirit just to see her again. Later, he found out Bianca had tried for reincarnation, and had successfully been reborn. Nico would never be able to see her again. That brought a pain all of its own, but Nico was glad his sister was happy. He was able to move on from the pain her death caused, and look on the brighter side to life. His friends and new family were here, and that's all he needed now.

Percy called them over to his table, so they made there way to them. Nico didn't see Piper at her table, so he turned to Jason.

"Where's Piper?" Nico asked.

"She said she wasn't feeling well, so she's resting in her cabin. I already brought her some food earlier." Jason answered, but Nico could tell Jason was sad about Piper not feeling well.

"She'll get better soon. Don't worry." Nico reassured him and it felt weird to him. He wasn't really good at reassuring people.

"Yeah, you're right. Thanks." Jason turned to him and smiled. Nico again thought about how beautiful that smile would look on a certain person...

"Hey guys! What took you so long? We were starting to wonder if you guys got lost or something. I thought you guys ended up ditching us." Percy said while he was stuffing his face with a blue lobster, and his favorite blue soda. Nico could never get over Percy's weird obsession with blue food, but what Nico found strange was not Percy's weird obsession, but the fact that there was such a thing as a blue lobster. Where did he even get that?

"Sorry to worry you guys. Nico was asleep, and I had to practically drag him out of his cabin to come eat." Jason lied casually. Nico looked at him and secretly thanked him for not telling anyone. Jason just smiled and looked back at his food. They had gotten their food and made there offerings before sitting down at the table.

"It's okay. We're just glad you guys are here." Annabeth said with a smile. Nico use to resent Annabeth because he had a crush on Percy. But that's water under the bridge now. He cleared the air between them, and everything was perfectly fine now.

"So, have any of you guys heard from Hazel, Frank, or Reyna recently?" Annabeth questioned us as she took a drink from her cup. They were our Roman friends from Camp Jupiter. They traveled with us, and fought alongside us. Hazel and Frank, along with Percy, Annabeth, Jason, Piper, and Leo, were the seven chosen heroes from the Prophecy of Seven. They were chosen by the Goddess Hera, herself. Though, no one likes her in the slightest. Everyone would happily tie her up and chuck her off the side of Mount Olympus while they danced on the ashes of her statues and shrines.

"Everything at Camp Jupiter is running smoothly. Reyna said that Frank is a great praetor, and has really took a liking to it. Hazel has brought the pride and respect back to the Fifth Cohort. Besides that, everything is back to the way it should be. New Rome is as bustling as ever. You two will live peacefully there." Jason informed everyone. He was made Pontifex Maximus, essentially a high ranking priest, and has been going back and forth between the two camps and building shrines for all of the minor gods and goddesses who haven't received the recognition they deserve. It was a promise he made, and he has stuck to it.

"That's great to hear! We should go visit them sometime." Annabeth advised. Everyone nodded their heads in agreement.

"Yeah, that sounds like a great idea. Maybe tomorrow or next day?" Percy suggested.

"Tomorrow's fine by me." Nico stated.

"Maybe some other day. Sorry guys, I want Piper to come along with us when she feels better." Jason said with an apologetic look.

"No, it's okay. We understand. We want her to go with us. We can wait until she feels better." Annabeth reassured with a smile.

"Yeah, no worries dude. We can go when she's feeling better. I wouldn't want to leave her behind. Then I would have to hear your never-ending complaints." Percy stated nonchalantly as he took a sip of his drink.

"Thanks, man. Knew I could always count on you to support me." Jason said with dry sacracsm. Percy was ready to make another retort when Annabeth slapped him in the back of the head, and sent him a warning glare. Percy quieted down after that.

Nico couldn't help but laugh a little at his friends' usual playfulness. Things never got boring around them. Everyone joined in on the laugh, and then broke out into other various conversations. After dinner was over, everyone in the camp gathered around the campfire to sing songs and have fun. Chiron was there along with Mr. D, who was looking as unimpressed as always. Dionysus is the God of Wine and Madness. He's acting as the current director of Camp Half-Blood because Zeus punished him for apparently chasing after an off-limits nymph even though he's married. Mr. D may seem and act like a jerk who doesn't have a care in the world and is always looking bored, but he really is a nice guy once you get to know him. Chiron is our activist director. He's a centaur, half man, half horse. He has guided and trained hundreds upon hundreds of demigods throughout the ages. He treats each and every demigod as his own child. Everyone loves Chiron and his leadership. There wouldn't be a Camp Half-Blood without him.

Everyone was having a great time. The Apollo cabin lead everyone in a campfire song, and the fire was burning a bright pink with hints of violent. The fire was reaching up high into the sky, symbolizing everyone's happiness. Nico looked over towards the Apollo campers to see if he could see Will. Nico couldn't see him anywhere, and that made him worry. Was Will upset with him, and refusing to come to dinner because he didn't want to see Nico? Nico felt bad for being so harsh towards him earlier in the morning. He wanted to apologize to Will, but decided to do it after the campfire was over.

"Hey, what's up Nico?"

Nico turned to see Jason looking at him with a concerned expression. Nico sighed and punch Jason in the shoulder halfheartedly.

"You found a new way of asking if I'm okay or not." Nico joked.

Jason smirked at him. "I thought you wouldn't notice."

"I'm not that clueless!" Nico defended himself.

"Really? That's surprising." Jason said with fake surprise. It earned him another punch to the shoulder. He started laughing along with Nico.

"I was kidding. I know you're not that stupid, or I would have mistaken you for Percy." Jason joked.

"I heard my name!" Percy turned around from where he was seated in front of them with Annabeth to stare at them questionably. Both Nico and Jason burst out laughing.

"What? What is it? What did you guys say about me?" Percy question them as he turned all the way around and looked at them. Annabeth was just giggling at the boys' antics.

"Nothing, Percy." Nico said after his round of laughter.

"No, you guys said something about me. What was it? I heard my name." Percy persisted.

"We were just talking about how amazing you are, and what a great fighter you are. You know, not as great as me, but you'll do." Jason said with a smirk on his face. Nico and Annabeth both looked at each other, knowing where this was heading towards.

"Oh really? Is that so, _Sparky_? Well, why don't we see who the better fighter really is here." Percy challenged with a devious smirk on his face. If Nico hadn't already moved on from his crush on Percy, he would have had a huge blush on his face because that smirk was attractive.

"We don't need too know, _fish boy_. I already know my powers are stronger than yours." Jason challenged back, enjoying every bit of it. Jason used to be very serious and always abiding by the rules. But after the war, he's learn to let loose and not be so serious all the time. He's still pretty serious, but it's times like this where he can just forget about everything and have fun.

"Oh yeah? Since when has your winds ever been able to lift a finger against my water?" Percy shot back. He was getting hyped up by this. He knew there was no real meaning to it, but he always wanted to have a real fight with Jason to see who was truly stronger.

"I don't just command the winds, you know? I also have control over lightning, and we all know lightning beats water." Jason countered back.

"Please. You can barely summon a bolt of lightning in normal circumstances. What makes you think you can summon some during our fight? I can drown you in my ocean before you even knew what hit you, _spark plug_." Percy challenged Jason without losing his smirk.

"Why don't we see just how much lightning I can summon to fry your brains out, _sea biscuit_?" Jason usually didn't bait people into fights, and he usually isn't the type of guy to pick fights with someone either, but he always wanted to see who would win in a battle between him and Percy.

Right when it looked like they were really going to start a fight, Annabeth was going to break it up when all of a sudden, the ground shook violently.


	5. Chapter 5

Everyone froze. All singing and laughter was silenced immediately. The campfire, which had been burning the size of a skyscraper, suddenly went out. After a few seconds, it lit back up again. Though only a tiny fire was present. Chiron and Dionysus looked at each other, confusion etched onto their faces. Everyone started mumbling to one another, trying to figure out what that was. When campers were beginning to think they had just imagined it, the ground shook violently again. Everyone was on their feet in an instance. Percy uncapped his Celestial bronze sword Riptide, and stood protectively by Annabeth, who had pulled out her drakon tooth and took a battle stance. Nico gripped his Stygian sword and prepared himself. Jason seemed to be the only one without a weapon. He really wished he brought his sword with him.

Everything went silent again. Chiron quickly gained everyone's attention. Everyone turned toward him.

"Please remain calm." Chiron said to everyone. Mr. D walked up to stand next to Chiron with his hands folded behind his back and, for once, looked alert of the situation, even if only a little.

"Is it Gaea?!" Some random camper asked amongst the crowd.

"Impossible! We defeated Gaea and put her to sleep!" Percy stated reassuringly. Nico, Annabeth, and Jason nodded in agreement. They were the ones who defeated her. She couldn't come back. Not this soon, if ever.

"Percy is right. We made sure she was defeated once and for all." Jason assured everyone. His voice held authority, and he stood as though he was their commanding officer. Jason use to be Praetor at Camp Jupiter, and commanded an entire Roman Legion. Though he wasn't a Praetor anymore, he held authority as the Pontifex Maximus. He was trying to calm the situation and not cause a panic.

"Yes, you are right. That Leon Valentine was the one to finish her off, if I recall." Mr. D stated with his nonchalant demeanor.

"His name was Leo. Leo Valdez, and I would appreciate it if you would remember his name correctly and honor his sacrifice, sir." Jason said sternly. Leo Valdez was a child of Hephaestus, and Jason's best friend. He was a hero who sacrificed himself to defeat Gaea by taking her to the skies on his dragon, Festus, and causing it to self-destruct along with himself and Gaea. Leo's death was excruciating for everyone. No one should dare insult Leo's name, not even a god.

"Right, my apologies. However, that doesn't seem to be the reason behind these strange tremors." Mr. D replied calmly.

"Well, what do you think it is?" Chiron questioned Dionysus. He was a god, after all.

"How should I know? I don't know what caused it." Mr. D answered.

Just then, savage winds started blowing through the entire camp. Everyone braced themselves. The winds were strong and relentless in their attack. Tables were being knocked down. Plates and cups were flying all throughout the air.

"Are these evil wind spirits?" Annabeth yelled over the sound of howling winds.

"No! These are just normal winds!" Jason answered back over the noise.

"Normal winds don't do this! Jason, get these winds under control!" Percy yelled at him.

Jason raise his arms and willed the winds to obey his command. It started to work, and the winds were slowing brought under control. After the winds were brought to a standstill, Jason let his arms drop and breathed out a sigh. Everyone composed themselves, but confusion was in the air.

"Thank you Jason for bringing those winds under control." Chiron thanked sincerely.

"You're welcome, Chiron." Jason replied back.

Just when things seemed to finally settle down, another gust of winds burst to life and ransacked the camp again.

"Are you _kidding_ me?!" Jason yelled with annoyance. He raised his hands to calm the winds again when a noise made him freeze.

"What are you waiting for? Hurry up and get these winds under control!" Nico shouted at him. Jason made no move to do so, and instead, just stared up at the winds.

"Jason!" Nico yelled again. He finally got Jason's attention. He turned towards Nico.

"Why the hell are you just standing there?! Stop these winds! Nico shouted at him. Jason shook his head and raised his arms again.

"Right, sorry. Here I go!" He stated. Once again Jason used his willpower to command the winds to obey him. The winds shook through the camp, but were eventually brought under control by Jason. He calmed the winds to a standstill again. Everyone was on edge again, waiting for another round of winds to attack.

"It's okay! I think that's the last of it." Jason stated as the last bit of winds were brought to a standstill.

"You think?" Nico said questionably.

"Good work again, Jason. I'm glad we have someone here who can control the winds." Chiron praised Jason.

"You're welcome again, Chiron." Jason said.

"Well now, since it seems we have things under control, will somebody please enlighten me as to what is going on?" Dionysus questioned unimpressed with everything that has been going on.

"Why are you asking us? How should we know what's going on?" Percy questioned back. Dionysus just looked unamused at Percy. Chiron shook his head at the lack of knowledge about these mysterious quakes and gusting winds.

Nico looked at Jason, only to find him looking up towards the sky. Nico wasn't the only person to notice this.

"What's wrong, Jason?" Annabeth questioned. Percy lowered his sword, and turned towards Jason.

"Is it the winds?" Percy asked.

"Huh? Oh, no it's not that. It's just..." Jason trailed off. He turned his gaze back towards the sky again.

"Just what? What's wrong?" Percy asked as he looked up at he sky to see what Jason was looking at. Annabeth did the same, but couldn't see anything unusual.

"I just...thought I heard something." Must have been hearing things. It's nothing." Jason finally said as he tore his gaze away from the sky and looked back towards the group. Jason was acting weird, but Nico didn't bring it up.

The campers were talking amongst themselves trying to figure out what that strange phenomenon was and what caused it. Chiron and Mr. D were talking to each other, discussing the events as well. Just then, the earth shook again. The tremor lasted only a few minutes, until gusts of winds started swirling around the camp again. Everyone was on high alert.

That was when they heard a strange sound. Only...it wasn't a strange sound. It was a sound they heard before. At least, Nico, Percy, Annabeth, and Jason have heard before. Especially, Jason. He's heard that sound more times then the others. As all of the over campers were bracing themselves from the severe winds, Nico and the others looked up towards the night sky. Jason didn't even bother taming the winds. He didn't have to. These winds weren't harmful.

This time, the noise came again, but louder. This got everybody's attention. As they looked up towards the night sky, the sound came one last time. This time, Nico and the others were sure of the sound. They knew what it was.

The roar of a dragon.


	6. Chapter 6

Will had finally finished tending to the last patient, and was putting away the last of his medical supplies when everything around him shook violently. He immediately stopped whatever he was doing and braced himself. The ground shook again with enough force to knock all of the medical supplies to the ground and scatter them around. That was going to be a pain to clean up. Another Apollo healer came running into the room a few moments after the strong tremor had rocked the room.

"There are strong winds destroying the camp!" He screamed at Will.

As if on cue, all of the windows were blown open by the fierce winds. Papers were flying around everywhere and chairs were being knocked to the ground. Everyone was bracing themselves from the harsh winds, and trying to shut the windows to prevent any more winds from getting in.

"Just get outside! Hurry, everyone!" Will yelled to everyone over the sound of deafening winds.

Every healer and patient within the infirmary rushed outside where the winds had begun ransacking the camp. Will looked around and spotted Nico bracing himself from the winds. He stood next to Percy, Annabeth, and Jason, who seemed to be trying to get these winds under control. Jason succeeded in taming the winds. All of the campers were on high alert for another attack. They didn't have to wait long. Another gust of winds tore through the camp. Demigods were bracing themselves while they waited for Jason to bring these winds under control again. After a few moments of being blasted by unsettling winds, the assault was brought to a standstill. Will had to admit that he was glad they had someone who could control the winds, or this situation would have gotten out of hand.

All of the campers were trying to figure out what could have caused these strange phenomenons. Will looked back over to see if Nico was alright. He was and Will was glad for that. He was going to make his way over to him when the ground beneath him shook violently again. He almost fell onto his face, but he managed to steady himself at the last second. The tremor didn't last very long, and right after it ended, savage winds tore through the camp again. Will was getting annoyed with these viscous winds. Just then, a noise broke out through the howling winds. Will looked up to see what it was, but he couldn't see anything. It was nighttime, and these winds were forcing Will to shut his eyes from their sheer pressure. Will looked to see if anyone else had noticed the noise, but it didn't seem like anyone did. He was wondering why it was taking Jason so long to control these winds. Right when he looked towards Nico, that strange noise came again. This time it seemed to have attracted everyone's attention. All of the demigods looked up towards the night sky, and Will couldn't believe what he was seeing.

An enormous shadow was descending upon the camp. It was too dark to make out the shape of the shadow or see it clearly. Everyone was reading their weapons. The Ares campers were pulling out their swords while the Apollo campers pulled out their bows and arrows. Will reached behind him to grab his bow, but didn't ready it. Just held it in his hand to see if he would really have to use it. As the shadow descended, all of the campers stepped back. Chiron was heading towards the front to intercept it. Just then, the shadow seemed to rear up and spit a bullet of fire that landed directly onto the campfire. The fire shot up towards the sky and illuminated the shadowy figure. What Will saw made him freeze right on the spot, and his mouth hanged open. The Hephaestus campers made a sound of disbelief, along with everyone else. Jason, Nico, Percy, and Annabeth were running towards the shadowy figure trying to get as close to it as possible.

When it finally landed, it caused the ground to shake once more. There stood a gold and bronze scaled dragon with giant, piercing, ruby eyes that seemed to light up like a high-powered searchlight. The automaton had gigantic bronze wings, which it spread far and wide. The dragon flashed its drill-like razor sharp teeth at the campers. The dragon must have easily weighed 50 tons. Will remembered who this dragon was. This was Leo's dragon, _Festus_. There was no mistaking it, but _how_ was it here? It was destroyed when Leo ordered it to self-destruct to finish off the Earth Mother, Gaea, once and for all. Will was sure of this. He saw it with his own eyes. So how...

"WOO HOO! Now _that's_ what I call a grandiose entrance! Did you all see that? Of course you all did! I was the star of the show! Hahaha, hell yeah baby!" A voice from somewhere on the dragon seemed to yell with so much self-love and admiration. A figure jumped down from Festus and gave a bow, like a performer after performing a spectacular show. Another figure jumped down from the dragon, and slapped the bowing figure in the back of the day.

"Don't yell so much. It was not that big of an entrance. That was simply a waste of good firepower." A sweet, harmonic voice sang from the second figure. Will had to admit that it was one of the most beautiful voices he had ever heard in his life.

"Awww, you don't have to be so mean Sunshine! I had been planning that entrance out all week!" The first figure whined and complained. Both of them were still hidden withing the dragon's shadow, so it was hard to make out who they were.

"Well now, if you're done with your dazzling performance, would you mind stepping out from under the shadows and revealing yourselves." Mr. D announced as the duo had stopped talking.

"Now, do I _really_ need to reveal myself for you to figure out who I am?" The figure said as he stepped out of the shadows, revealing himself. He had a mischievous smile plastered on his face.

"Hmph, I guess not." Dionysus replied as calm as ever, with a slight smile gracing his lips.

There he stood for all to see. With his curly black hair, dark brown eyes that seem to sparkle with mischief, pointy ears like an elf, and with a face that had playfulness written all over it. He looked to be about 5'6 with a slim build. He was shaking in his shoes, whether that was from mere adrenaline or what, Will didn't know. He was practically jumping from where he was standing. But there he stood, in all of his fiery glory. Literally, because the next second, he burst into flames right on the spot. His whole body was engulfed in fire. Everyone shrieked from the sudden flames and their intensity.

"Oh, come on! I'm not going to hurt you! You should all know that by now. I just wanted to see your reactions." He laughed as he extinguished the fire. His body and clothing remaining completely unharmed.

Jason was the first person to break free from the crowd and run towards this person, but stopped right in front of him. He stood there in complete shock as he took in the person who stood before him.

"Hey. Long time no see, Jason. How've you been? Did you miss me?" He said with a playful voice.

"Leo..."


	7. Chapter 7

Nico could not believe what he was seeing. Leo Valdez was standing before them, alive, and smiling like an idiot. He stood there with a goofy smile plastered on his face, while he stared at Jason. Nico had to blink once, then twice to make sure his mind wasn't playing tricks on him. In the state he was in, he wouldn't be surprised if it was. But it wasn't. Leo was really here. Nico could feel it, sense Leo's life force thrumming inside of him. Since he was a child of Hades, Nico can sense when people die. He can sense their spirits and souls in the Underworld. Nico knows if a person is really dead or not. He's the Ghost King, after all. But Leo's death felt different to him. Nico always knew that Leo's death felt strange to him, but he could never put his finger on it. Now, it was just making things more confusing for Nico. How in the world...

"Leo...y-you're alive, but h-how...?" Jason stuttered uncontrollably. He couldn't put his words together. Couldn't fathom the fact that Leo was standing in front of him, alive, and being his old goofy self. He looked exactly the way Jason remembered him. Never being able to stand still, always having a playful smile on his face, a mischievous glint in his eyes...he was exactly the same. Everything about him was perfectly...Leo.

"I'm sorry for putting you through that, buddy. I'm sorry for putting everyone through that, but...there was no other way. I'm sorry. I really am. I just...couldn't risk losing any of you guys. After I sacrificed myself to destroy that pain in my behind Gaea, once and for all, Festus used the Physician's Cure to bring me back to life. Though Festus took quite a beating, too. I had to repair him, so that's why it took me so long to get back. Also, there was someone I had to get, first, to bring back. Long story short, I'm here! Alive and breathing! I hope you can forgive me. Though I'll completely understand if you don't. I mean, I did make you guys assume I was dead, so yeah. I'm really sorry, again." Leo rambled. After he was done, he took a deep breath and looked at Jason. He was staring at Leo with an unfathomable expression.

So that's it, Leo used the Physician's Cure to bring himself back to life. But Nico thought that Leo had gotten rid of it on purpose. Hazel explained to everyone that she used her power over the Mist to make it look like Piper had the Physician's Cure, but in reality, it was a fake. Hazel said Leo made her do that so that he could sacrifice himself, without anyone having to die. The Physician's Cure is a magical potion that can bring people back from the dead, but it can only be used on one person and it had to be immediately after they died. How was Festus able to resurrect Leo when he had gotten rid of the real Physician's Cure? Does that mean Leo never threw away the real one at all and, instead, kept it with him? If that's true, then why did Leo go through that whole insane plan of his if he was going to come back from the dead anyways? So many things didn't make sense to Nico.

"Hey, Jason. Are you okay? Come on, man. Say something. Anything! Please don't look at me like that. It's starting to freak me out." Leo practically begged Jason to speak up. Jason was at a complete loss for words. He just couldn't comprehend all of this.

' _Leo was alive. He's alive and standing right in front of me. He's not dead...he was never dead...'_ Jason's thoughts trailed off.

"Jason? Hey, earth to Jason. You there?" Leo said as he waved his hand in front of Jason's face.

Leo was caught off guard when Jason pulled him into a crushing bear hug. Jason held on to Leo like he was his lifeline, afraid that if he let him go, he would disappear again. He felt tears brimming in his eyes, but he refused to let them fall. Knowing Leo, he would just make a joke about it and never let Jason live it down. Leo recovered quickly and returned the hug fiercely. He was also trying to keep his tears from falling. He thought he would just spontaneously combust from the sheer happiness he was feeling.

Nico and everyone looked on with a smile of their face. The tension in the air disappeared, and the campfire was burning a bright pink of pure joy and excitement. The Hephaestus campers let out a wild cheer, which the entire camp joined in. It didn't matter if things still seemed a bit confusing. All that matter was that Leo was back. Nico and Annabeth made their way towards Leo where he and Jason were being surrounded by the Hephaestus campers. As they made their way towards their friends, Annabeth noticed that Percy did not move from his spot. His Celestial bronze sword had retracted back into its ball-point pen form, but Percy just stood there with a shocked expression.

"Percy, what's wrong?" Annabeth questioned with concern. It took a minute for Percy to look at her. His shocked expression didn't falter, but there was also a touch of...fear in his eyes? No, that can't be right. Why would Percy be afraid of Leo?

"Percy, what is it?" Annabeth questioned again. Percy's facial expression was worrying her.

 _'That voice...'_ Percy couldn't believe it.

It was her.


	8. Chapter 8

"Percy!" Annabeth shouted as she shook Percy. He snapped out of his conflicting thoughts and turned towards Annabeth.

"N-nothing. It's nothing. Come on, we should go see our friends." Percy said quickly before turning around and began walking to where the others were. Before he could get far, Annabeth grabbed his arm.

"Percy, I know you're lying. What are you hiding from me?" Percy never usually hide anything from Annabeth, unless he absolutely had too. Percy took a deep breath and waited a few seconds before looking back at Annabeth.

"Remember when we were in...Tartarus, and we were getting cursed by those arai?" Percy asked hesitantly. He knew it was still very painful for the both of them to talk about their experience in Tartarus. Annabeth eyes grew wide, but she composed herself and nodded. If Percy was bringing up that, then it must be serious.

"Well...remember that curse they inflicted on you. The one where you could see or hear me or anything?" Percy hated himself for making Annabeth remember something so heartbreaking. Arai were these winged demons in Tartarus who could make curses real. Each time you killed one, a curse who be placed on you. Annabeth was inflicted with a curse when she killed one. Every time Percy tried to get close to her, she would be teleported away from him. She had to go through life without Percy by her side, for that was the curse that was placed on her. The look in her eyes made him want to hold her for the rest of his life and never let her go. He quickly took hold of her hand and squeezed reassuringly. She took a shaking breath and nodded again. It was hurting Percy just as much as it was hurting Annabeth.

"I know who inflicted that curse on you. It was meant to hurt the person I left her to be with. She wanted me to feel the same pain she felt when I left her and never came back. It was my punishment for not being able to keep my promise to her." Percy explained. His heart was pounding so fast, he felt like it would beat right out of his chest.

"She? Who's she? Percy, who are you talking about?" Annabeth questioned again. Someone wanted Percy to feel the same pain that they felt when Percy left them. They wanted Annabeth to experience a life without Percy. That was the most heartbreaking experience she ever had to go through in her life. A life without Percy. Not being able to hear his beautiful voice. Not being able to see his mesmerizing sea-green eyes, like the world's most breathtaking ocean. Not being able to feel those soft lips on hers...

"Annabeth! Hey, _Annabeth_! Snap out of it!" Percy shook her when he saw the look of fear and pain in her eyes. She was remembering it, and Percy wanted to slap himself for bringing it up. He quickly pulled her into a tight hug and kissed the top of her head. He held her firmly while rubbing small circles on her back. Annabeth melted into the hug and buried her face in his shoulder. She took a couple of deep breaths before she pulled back to look him in the face. He gave her a small smile and kissed her gently on the lips before pulling back. A reassurring kiss that Annabeth desperately needed.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up. I'm an idiot. I'm so sorry, love." He said quietly with a guilty look in her face. Annabeth gave him a small smile in return and a soft kiss on his lips. It was her turn to comfort him.

"No, it's okay. Really, I'm fine." She reassured. She hugged him for a few moments before pulling back and looking into those gorgeous sea-green eyes that she couldn't live without. After they had both calmed down, she asked again.

"But why did you bring it up? What does that have anything to do with Leo?" Her eyes searched his for an answer.

"It has nothing to do with Leo...it has something to do with the person who's with him." Percy stated with a shaky voice. He tried to keep his voice under control, but it was hard for him.

"Who's with him? Percy, you're not making any sense." Annabeth said with confusion in her tone.

"Remember when I made Mt. Saint Helen erupt?" Percy asked out of nowhere. Annabeth gave him a confused look.

"Yeah. Why?" Annabeth asked.

"Well, after that eruption, I landed on what I thought was a deserted island. Turns out, that island belonged to—"

"Percy! Annabeth! Why are you guys just standing there? Come over here!" Jason shouted towards them, waving his arm. Nico came over to where they were standing. He gave them a strange look before speaking.

"Is everything alright?" Don't you guys want to see Leo? He's alive!" Nico stated while pointing his arm over to where Leo was celebrating with Jason and the Hephaestus campers.

"Y-yeah, we're coming." Percy stuttered, which didn't go unnoticed by Nico. Nico gave him a questioning look, but Percy grabbed Annabeth's hand and lead her towards their friends who were waiting. Nico decided to drop it and followed after them.

Jason gave them a smile when they reached them. Leo turned around and gave them his signature smile. Annabeth pulled him into a tight hug, which Leo happily returned. When they pulled back, Annabeth punched Leo in the arm. Leo winced at the harsh gesture, but Annabeth gave him a smile.

"Pull something like that again, Valdez, and I'll make sure you feel it next time." Annabeth warned him, but there was no real threat to her tone.

"I did feel it! _Geez_ , I come back from the dead, and the first thing you do is sucker punch me in the arm. You're still a frightening blonde chick, Annabeth." Leo joked while holding his arm pretending it was broken. Annabeth laughed at Leo's over-dramatic nature.

"First of all, I gave you a hug then I punched you. I see you're still as over-dramatic as ever." Annabeth joked with a smile.

"Welcome back to the world of the living, Valdez. How did it feel to be dead for a while." Nico asked with a scary smirk on his face. Leo stepped back when he saw it. Nico laughed at that.

"I see you still give people the freaky-deakies, mister Ghost King. Why do you always have to say the creepy stuff, and not the normal things like _'welcome back,'_ _'I'm glad you're okay,_ ' or _'my life was completely boring without our number one, bad boy supreme.'_ That would make me feel more welcomed and not like you're trying to ask me what color coffin I want at my funeral." Leo stated. Everyone around him burst out laughing as Nico rolled his eyes.

"I was kidding. Of course I'm happy that you're back. I always knew that your death was strange." Nico stated nonchalantly. Leo didn't feel any less reassured by that.

"Well, anyways, welcome back." Jason said as he clasped Leo on the shoulder. Leo was smiling so hard his cheeks hurt.

 _'I'm home.'_ Leo thought to himself with a smile.

That's when Leo turned to face Percy. Percy looked back at him and offered him a smile. Leo returned the smile and walked up towards him. Percy held Annabeth's hand tighter.

"Yo! What up, my favorite water boy? I didn't even noticed you were standing there. You were so quiet. What's wrong? Aren't you happy to see your favorite jokester alive? Or are you too shocked by my smoking good looks to say anything?" Leo joked playfully as he punch Percy's shoulder halfheartedly. Leo may sound playful, but there was something else in his tone that Percy couldn't name.

"I thought I told you not to call me water boy, you overgrown furnace. Of course I'm happy to see you. Why wouldn't I be?" Percy shot back with his signature smirk. Leo laughed at the nickname Percy gave him. But all the joking died out when the second figure spoke up.

"It has been a long time, Percy Jackson." The figure stated as she walked up to stand beside Leo. Percy's breath caught in his throat.

"Percy, I believe you two know each other." Leo said as he gestured between the two. Percy cleared his throat as he spoke.

"Yeah, we do." Percy said. "I never thought I would ever see you again...Calypso."


	9. Chapter 9

Calypso looked exactly as Percy remembered her, except for her clothes. She was wearing a white blouse with simple blue jeans. She had dark almond-shaped eyes. Her hair was a sweet caramel color, and Percy could still smell the cinnamon scent in them. It was braided over one shoulder. Her milky face appeared to be timeless. Calypso is the daughter of Atlas, who holds up the sky. She is an immortal goddess with an appearance of a sixteen year old. She didn't have to try to look beautiful, and she didn't even care. She just _was_. Percy always thought Calypso was more beautiful than Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love. She just looked more natural, and that naturalness spawned her beauty. Her voice sounded like soothing wind chimes. It was both mesmerizing and addicting. Percy had to remind himself to blink and not stare. He let go of a breath he didn't realize he was holding. He never thought this day would come. The day where he would see Calypso again. The day where he would have to apologize for hurting her, and for not making sure that the Gods kept to their promise.

"Neither did I. You did well in keeping your promise, I see." Calypso shot back. Her voice was full of malice and resentment. Percy felt a pang of guilt start to creep up inside of him. His heart beat unevenly as he tried to look anywhere else except at those intense eyes that held so much hate towards him. Annabeth's hand in his is what brought him out of his guilt-induced silence. He looked back up towards Calypso.

"Calypso, look. I'm sorry. I know sorry isn't going to change anything, and it isn't going to erase all of the pain I caused you, but it's all I can say right now. It's all my fault. I should have made sure that the Gods kept to their promise and freed you. I was a naive idiot you thought that just by telling them to free you, they would follow through with it and everything would be okay. I never thought much more about it then that. I'm really sorry, Calypso. I know how much that pained you. I didn't mean to hurt you more than I already have. I didn't see my promise all the way through. I understand why you hate me. You should because I was the stupid one here. Could you find it in you to forgive me, please?" Percy confessed with a guilty, but pleading look on his face. His voice was full of sorrow and regret. Calypso stared at him for a moment, and Percy feared she may not forgive him. After a few more agonizing moments, Calypso sighed and looked at Percy with a sweet, gentle smile.

"Alright, I forgive you. I can sense the truth and regret in your voice. It is not your fault. You kept true to your promise. It was the Gods who did not keep true to theirs. I have put that behind me now. I am finally free from my prison on Ogygia, thanks to Leo Valdez." She turned towards Leo and gave him a loving smile, which Leo returned wholeheartedly. Percy couldn't help but smile at the two. He felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. Happiness surged through him as he can finally put that part of his past behind him. He turned towards Annabeth and offered her a smile, which did not go unnoticed by Calypso.

"So this is your precious Annabeth. I am pleased to meet you. My name is Calypso." She said with a kind voice as she extended her hand towards Annabeth in a greeting gesture. Annabeth stared at Calypso and then at her hand before she finally gave in and shook it. She returned the smile, but Percy felt she might be forcing it.

"It's very nice to meet you, Calypso. I've heard wonderful things about you." Annabeth stated, never losing her smile as she pulled her hand back from Calypso's.

"And I, of you." Calypso stated back.

Nico was just standing there watching the entire scene unfold before him, and he didn't have to be a genius to sense the tension in the air. He elbowed Jason next to him, and made a gesture at him to say something. Jason was about to say something when another voice spoke up.

"Leo?"


	10. Chapter 10

Everyone turned towards the voice that spoke out amongst the cheering campers. The crowd split to reveal the figure.

It was Piper McLean, a daughter of Aphrodite and one of the seven heroes from the Prophecy of Seven. She wore some gray sweats with a loose shirt, and her hair was tied up in a messy bun. Her nose was slightly red and her voice sounded a little scratchy, but she was still looked wonderful. She never liked to dress up or show off her beauty as a child of Aphrodite, and she didn't have to. She was just naturally beautiful. No matter how hard she tried to make herself look bad, it never worked. She always looked great. It was an Aphrodite thing. She stood there in shock as she stared at Leo with tearful eyes.

"Hey, Pipes! What's crack-a-lacking? I missed you! How've you been?" Leo said with a joyous smile. Piper was like a sister to Leo. They met at the Wilderness Camp they were forced to go to, and they became best friends. That's also where they met Jason, even though it was really a trick of the mist.

"How have I _been_? You're asking me how have _I_ been? _Are you kidding me_?!" Piper shrieked as she ran towards Leo. Leo raised his arms in front of his face to shield himself, but instead had the wind knocked out of him when Piper flung herself towards Leo and wrapped him up in a fierce bear hug. Leo staggered back a little by the sudden impact, but recovered and returned the loving gesture.

"You stupid idiot." Piper said as she let her tears that have been threatening to pour out fall. Leo gave a slight chuckle and wrapped his arms around her tighter. He missed her so much. He missed everybody very much.

"Your charmspeak is as powerful as ever, Piper. You almost made me believe that I was a stupid idiot." Leo joked. He finally released her from the hug, and Piper punched Leo's shoulder halfheartedly.

"You were always a stupid idiot." Piper joked back. She had a beautiful smile on her face, and her laugh filled Leo up with happiness.

"Yeah, I know. It's a tiring profession. Just ask Percy over there." He turned to point at Percy, who sent a halfhearted glare at him.

"Learned it from the best." Percy countered, never losing his signature smirk.

"You were a stupid idiot even before you met him." Annabeth stated as Percy turned towards her.

"Hey! I thought you were on my side!" Percy questioned dramatically.

"I'm on no one's side. I just stated a fact." Annabeth said with a smirk of her own. She pulled Percy into a hug, and leaned in close to his face.

"But you're my stupid idiot, Seaweed Brain." She whispered as she gave him a quick kiss. Percy smiled and returned the kiss. He lingered there for a few more seconds before pulling back.

"And I always will be, Wise Girl." He stated affectionately, voice filled with love.

"Get a room!"

"Shut up, Valdez!" Percy shot back with an annoyed expression. Leo just laughed, and everyone joined in. By the time they knew it, the whole camp was going crazy. Leo's return gave new reason to start partying and celebrating till the sun came up. Chiron and Mr. D allowed it to go on for the sake of their hero's return. They also joined in on the fun. Piper wasn't feeling a hundred percent, but for the moment, she didn't care. She wrapped her arms around Jason and danced the night away. Leo and Calypso never lost their smiles and danced until their hearts could burst. Nico decided to enjoy himself, and not worry about his personal problems. For now, it was just music and dance and the sound of laughter that ended their incredible day.


	11. Chapter 11

The celebration held true to its promise. The party was still going on well after the sun had risen. Chiron had to put his hooves down, and made the party end around five in the morning. Everyone retired off to their respected cabins. Calypso and Piper bonded very well during the celebration, and she offered Calypso to stay at the Aphrodite cabin until they were able to build her a cabin of her very own. After all, Calypso was considered to be a minor goddess. Leo complained, but was quickly silenced by Chiron, reminding him that couples were prohibited to sleep in the same bed with together. Calypso scolded Leo for thinking such vulgar things, to which Leo defended himself by stating that he didn't mean it like that. It gave everyone one good final laugh before they went to their cabins and crashed for the day.

Percy met up with Nico before he had the chance to return to his cabin and bury himself in his bed. Nico turned to face him.

"What is it, Percy?" Nico asked tiredly. He was about to pass out right then and there if he didn't get some rest. Will's constant nagging rang in his head, but he pushed it to the back of his mind.

"Sorry. I just wanted to make sure you were doing okay." Percy said with sincere concern in his voice. Nico couldn't bring himself to shrug off Percy's concern. He was too tired to do anything.

"Yes, I'm doing just fine. Why do you ask?" Nico questioned with mild concern.

"You know why..." Percy trailed off, but Nico knew exactly what he was talking about.

Ever since Nico, Percy, and Annabeth came back from the depths of Tartarus, they have never been the same. They are plagued with nightmares, and sometimes their powers go out of control. Like how Nico's did when he started remembering his journey through Tartarus. They may pretend everything is okay, but it's not okay. May never be okay. Tartarus obliterated a part of their soul that they could never fully recover, their happiness. They have never been truly happy since their experience. It stole a piece of their mind that they will never get back, their sanity. Even taking just one glance at Tartarus was maddening. Percy and Annabeth might get back what they had lost, maybe. They may, one day, help each other feel whole again, but Nico doubts he will ever be whole again. Tartarus left them hollow, with very little light left in their eyes. They weren't as hopeful as they use to be. They weren't as fearless and brave as they use to be. They couldn't see the joy in life as much as they should. Even though they should have felt new found joy and happiness in their lives after crawling out of that hellish pit of death, they just couldn't find it in them to be happy. Life seemed so meaningless. They didn't feel that way entirely, but they couldn't fully revel in it, either. After the war ended, they have been slowing regaining their lost light, but it may never fully return. They're just broken pieces trying to keep their parts from falling apart. At least Percy and Annabeth had each other when they went to Tartarus and back. Nico had no one. He had to go through that unfathomable suffering all on his own. When he finally came back, there was barely anything left of him. He was no longer his old self. He barely made it out of there with his sanity intact. Nico had been careless. He thought he could go anywhere he wanted to in the Underworld. He paid the price for that arrogance. He got too close to Tartarus and was sucked in by the dark gravity the pit generates. Nico felt like he was being sucked into a black hole of never-ending darkness. Going through that hellhole was unbearable. He was a son of Hades, and even he almost didn't make it. Percy and Annabeth had each other. Their love for each other is what gave them strength to make it out of there alive. But they didn't come back as their old selves, either. Only they understood what the other was truly going through.

"Yeah, I know. Thanks for your concern. I'm fine, really. What about you? How's Annabeth?" Nico asked with honest concern.

"I'm doing okay. Annabeth's a little shaken, but she's pulling through. She's strong. She'll be okay." Percy reassured with a smile. Nico returned the smile and nodded.

"Yeah, she is. I know she'll be fine. She's got you looking out for her, after all." Nico stated. Before, Nico would have said that with resentment towards Annabeth. Now, he's perfectly okay with the two being together. Nico knows they were meant to be together.

Percy smiled at that and ruffled Nico's hair. Much to his annoyance, Nico couldn't help but smile at the gesture.

"Yeah, you're right. Thanks Nico. Hey, but don't worry, you'll find someone too. You know, someone who's obviously _your type_!" Percy joked with a devious smirk on his face. Nico face palmed himself.

"Are you still not over that?!" Nico questioned with pure annoyance. After the end of the war, Nico confessed to Percy about having a crush on him. He said he was over him, and that Percy wasn't his type. Ever since then, Percy has been giving Nico hell about that. Both of them knew it was just a joking thing between them, like an inside joke.

"But you never told me why I'm not your type! How can I not be your type? I'm _everybody's_ type!" Percy complained. He was smiling at their whole conversation. He loved to annoy Nico about it.

"Get off your high pegasus, Percy. Not everybody is in love with you." Nico stated as he crossed his arms over his chest. He knows Percy will have some sort of retort to this.

"You were." Percy shot back. His smirk turning into a full-blown smile.

"Yes, I was. But I'm over that now. I told you. You're not my type, Percy. Get over it. You can't have me." Nico countered with a sinister smirk of his own. Percy gaped at him, but then just laughed and shook his head.

"Are you flirting with me, Nico? Trying to play hard-to-get, I see? I'll make sure to tell Annabeth about this." Percy questioned deviously. He eyed Nico with nothing but pure mischief shining in his sea-green eyes. Nico blushed furiously as he shook his head.

"Screw you! I was not!" Nico defended himself. Percy raised his arms in a gesture of surrender, but he couldn't stop laughing. Nico was scowling at him as he tried to refrain from punching him. Percy was grabbing at his side because he was laughing so hard. Nico finally had enough, and threw a punch at him. Percy threw his arms up to shield himself. He was finally able to suppress his laughter. Percy sent Nico an apologetic smile. Nico just rolled his eyes.

"Okay, okay I'm done. I was just messing with you, Nico. You need to chill out. Maybe take a cold shower. Oh wait, I forgot. That wouldn't be _your type_ of thing to do." Percy was barely able to brace himself before Nico threw another punch at him.

"I'm so done with you." Nico stated with a halfhearted glare. He wasn't really mad at Percy. Just annoyed with his constant teasing.

"Okay, okay! I swear I'm done now." Percy said with a chuckle at the end. "Thanks for the laugh, Nico. I'll catch you around. Take care, okay? Goodnight." Percy said finally as he ruffled Nico's hair one last time before turning around and heading back to his cabin.

"Yeah, whatever. Night." Nico said back as he also turned around, and started to head back to his cabin. Unbeknownst to him that the duo's entire banter was being watched by a mysterious figure hiding behind a tree.


	12. Chapter 12

_Run. Slash. Scream._

 _There were hordes of giants and titans in every direction, all attacking from every angle. Nico was surrounded. Outnumbered. He gripped his Stygian sword tightly as he parried another blow from a titan. Arai were flying all around him, trying their best to purposely get killed so that they could place a curse on him. Drakon screams could be heard all around. Empousai were using their charmspeak to try to get Nico to drop is sword, and allow himself to be impaled by a giant. And it was working. Nico's hand loosened its grip on his ebony blade, and he was fighting desperately to keep his hold on it. His arms, legs, torso, every inch of his being was covered in cuts, slashes, bruises, and wounds. The fight hadn't even lasted 10 minutes, and he was already being overwhelmed. Nico could see out of the corner of his eye a titan riding a hydra with two hellhounds flanked on either side charging at him with his jagged blade raised high. Nico whipped around to intercept the attack, only to accidentally cut an arae in half. The last thing Nico heard was it's sinister laugh before having his entire body was shredded. Nico screamed as he fell to the decaying ground. His blood was pouring out of him in waves, and Tartarus's flesh was feasting off of it. Nico could hear Tartarus's heartbeat pounding away as the sounds of screaming and fighting filled the dark pit. The titan riding a hydra stopped it front of him, and laughed as he saw Nico trying desperately to stand up. The two hellhounds stalked around Nico, like predators preparing to devour their pray. Nico's vision was blurring. His whole body refusing to obey his command. He felt cold, more so than he usually did. His breath was coming in slow and ragged. The sulfuric atmosphere wasn't helping in the matter, either. Nico knew that curse ruptured an organ or two. Possibly his lungs as every jagged breath felt like metal shards flowing through his veins, circling and slicing up his insides. He could feel himself sinking into Tartarus's flesh. The arai were shrieking with enormous delight. The hydra raised its five heads, mouths boiling forth with acid to completely incinerate Nico. The two hellhounds crouched down low and snarled. Canines bared as they readied themselves for the kill. The titan raised his sword in the air and let out a battle cry. All the monsters joined in as Nico started fading from existence. His body was starting to become see-through. All he saw was the titan looming over him, preparing to deliver the finishing blow. He couldn't feel anything as he lay in his own ocean of blood, wanting nothing more than to die and be done with this miserable torture. His eyes started slipping shut as he saw the titan's sword come down, along with the hydra's acidic fire and the two hellhounds pouncing at him._

 _It's over..._

Nico woke with a scream. His powers lashing out at everything. His entire cabin shook from the tremendous force of Nico's uncontrollable power. The floors started decaying as all of the lights on the ceiling shattered. Darkness engulfed him as shadows began consuming his cabin. Nico tried desperately to calm himself down, but it was no use. His deathly aura was weighting him down. His body trembled with miserable pain, wretched agony, and unimaginable suffering. He fisted his hair as another blood-curtailing scream wrenched its way out of his throat. He bit down on his lips with enough force to break skin. The metallic taste of copper tainting his mouth. A taste he knew too well. A taste he has tasted too much for his liking. His cabin kept shaking as cracks began appearing on the wall. The ceiling was chipping under the pressure. The smell of death was heavy in the air. Nico was shaking to his core. The shadows were enveloping him, dragging him down to the deepest, darkest abyss of unrelenting sorrow. He toppled off his bed and landed on the ground with an echoing thud. He flailed his arms around searching for his sword. He didn't know why he needed it. He just did. When he couldn't locate it, panic shot through his entire being as he clenched his head. His body was trembling greatly, and the power he was trying to contain within him was begging to be unleashed. To be set free and wreck havoc upon everything and anything in sight. The cracked floor Nico lay on was sinking into the ground. Remnants of his dream were bursting forth in his mind as that same feeling of sinking into Tartarus's flesh shot through him. Nico couldn't contain his earth-shattering scream as it escaped his mouth, along with a fierce blast of dark energy. The black energy erupted forth with enough force to shatter all windows and blast the door off its hinges. Nico curled himself into a ball, wrapping his arms tightly around his legs and tucking his head towards his chest. Nico's bed broke under the harsh assault. Tears rolled down his face without his permission. Nico never felt so helpless before as the shadows threatened to engulf him. Nico was a child of Hades. It was he who controlled the shadows, not the other way around. But today, he lay there powerless, unable to do anything, as his deathly aura consumed every ounce of his soul. Nico wanted nothing more than to be put out of his misery.

"Hey, Nico! Nico!"

Nico faintly heard someone shout his name, and then he felt himself being pulled into someone's embrace. Nico didn't have to look to know who it was.

"Nico! Hey, come on! Snap out of it! Nico, listen to me! It's okay. I'm here. Calm down. _Nico_!" Percy shouted desperately as he wrapped his arms around Nico and held on to him for dear life. Nico was shaking uncontrollably. His breathing was uneven. His skin was ice cold and ghostly pale. He was sweating like crazy, and his power was running rampant. Percy was suffocating under its merciless assault, but no matter what, he didn't loosen his grip around Nico. He sat down with his back against the cracked wall, and pulled Nico into his lap. Nico didn't have it in him to resist. He knew Percy wouldn't let him anyway. Percy's calm and reassurring presence was soothing Nico's raging and violent power.

"Hey, Nico. It's alright. You're safe. Nothing is going to happen to you. I'm here, so please calm down." Percy reassured soothingly. He rubbed small circles on Nico's back. Nico couldn't contain his sorrow any longer. He sobbed into Percy's shoulder. It was wretched and painful. Percy hushed Nico as he continued to sob his heart out. Someone else came rushing in as Nico's power was starting to come under control. Percy turned to see Jason running over to them. He knelt down beside them.

"What happened?!" Jason questioned, bewildered. His whole body was tensed and alert. It made sense why he was here. The Big Three's cabins were the closest to one another. Percy was glad one of his friends was here who could help him calm Nico down.

"I don't know. I was sleeping when all of a sudden I heard Nico scream. His power was so suffocating that I couldn't get near him at first. When I got here, he was curled up on the ground screaming and crying. Jason, you got to help me get his power under control. I can't contain this by myself." Percy explained as he pleaded to Jason for help. Jason nodded with determination. Being this close to Nico was taking its toll on him as well. Jason didn't know what he could do, but he had to do something. He couldn't stand seeing Nico withering in pain. Percy sent him a thankful smile as he turned his attention back to Nico. Suddenly, Nico let out another agonizing scream as his body erupted with dark energy. It knocked Jason across the cabin, and it shot through Percy like a nuclear bomb going off inside of him. Percy bit down on his lips to try and contain a scream that threatened to escape. He instinctively hugged Nico tighter against him. The entire Hades cabin was falling apart. The ceiling was collapsing and the floor boards were being ripped asunder. The wall Percy was leaning against gave way, and he fell back. He landed hard on the ground outside, still holding on to Nico. The wall of the cabin fully broke apart and fell towards them. Jason summoned the winds to blast the falling debris away. He hurried over to Percy's side and helped him get to his feet. Percy held Nico like a newborn baby, safety secured in his arms. Nico clutched Percy shirt as more dark energy emitted out of him in waves. Bloody screams and wretched sobs broke free from his tightly sealed lips. The ground around them started to die off. They could feel themselves sinking into the earth. Jason urged Percy to run.

"We need to get out of here! His powers will kill everything! We need to get him somewhere safe!" Jason shouted as he braced himself from Nico's uncontrollable assault. It was just like yesterday all over again. Only this time Nico was completely out of control and there was no stopping it. Jason's chest tightened as feelings of helplessness, fear, and dread washed over him. The feeling was like no other. Jason couldn't breath. Couldn't speak. All he wanted to do was sink down into the ground and die. Is this what Nico was going through? Jason couldn't even begin to imagine.

"Nowhere is a safe place unless we calm him down first! He's just scared!" Percy shouted back. His legs felt weak. They were shaking like crazy, and it took every ounce of his strength to keep him from falling to the ground. Every breath he took felt like he was inhaling broken glass. His throat burned and his vision blurred. Nico's power was devastating him, but he had to remain strong. He couldn't allow himself to wallow in his own problems while Nico was shattering in his arms. Thoughts of Tartarus filled his mind, and he had to shake his head violently to get rid of them. This was no time to be having those flashbacks, but he knew it was Nico's power that was bringing his most excruciating memories to the surface. He just had to fight them off and stay strong. Nico clenched Percy's shirt tighter. His tears were pouring out of his eyes like a never ending rainstorm. Nico couldn't hear much over the sound of his rampaging power. His body felt so weak and his eyes were slipping shut. His breath was coming in slower and more ragged than before. The only thoughts on his mind were death, darkness, endless sorrow, eternal damnation, and fear. Just plain, blatant fear. Fear of never seeing anything but the color red. Red like fire. Red like blood. Like the poisonous blood that flows through his veins. The fear of only smelling rotting flesh and decaying bones of the dead. The fear of only hearing the torturous wails and screams of condemned souls begging, pleading to end their eternal, cursed punishment. Then, there was his personal fears. The fear of never seeing his friends again. The fear that he might accidentally hurt or even kill his friends with his own power. But most of all, Nico's greatest fear wasn't death or suffering. It never was. He's known that feeling all his life. No, his worst fear is something that shouldn't even be feared by a child of Hades. But at this very moment, he was utterly terrified by it. It was his last thought before he lost consciousness.

Nico was afraid of the dark.


	13. Chapter 13

Percy looked down when he felt Nico's body go limp in his arms. His uncontrollable assault had ceased, and both him and Jason took a deep breath. When he looked down at Nico, he saw a small amount of blood coming out of his nose, and Percy swore he saw Nico's body start fading for a second. Panic shot through Percy as he gripped Nico tighter.

"No, no, _no_! Nico! Hey, Nico! Wake up! _Nico_!" Percy screamed desperately as he knelt down to the ground. He shook Nico, but he received no response. Jason quickly knelt in front of them and put his hand to Nico's forehead, only to suddenly pull it back as if he had been burned.

"His skin is too cold. We need to get him to the infirmary!" Jason insisted urgently. Percy nodded and scooped up Nico in his arms as he stood up. Both he and Jason dashed towards the infirmary as fast as their legs could carry them. Their feet eating up the ground as they pushed themselves faster. Jason ran beside Percy, making sure he didn't trip and because he knew Percy couldn't run as fast as he could while carrying Nico. He considered flying them to the infirmary, but decided against it because it might cause Percy to drop Nico. He hated that he couldn't do it, but for now, he just concentrated on getting Nico to the infirmary as fast as they could. Percy tightened his grip on Nico as they sprinted, willing his legs to move faster. They couldn't get there fast enough. Just as the infirmary came into sight, they saw Chiron running towards them hurriedly. Worry and confusion written all over his face.

"Get Nico to the infirmary! I'll explain everything to Chiron! Go, hurry!" Jason urged Percy. Percy nodded and bolted off. He couldn't afford to lose any time.

Jason ran over to Chiron and stopped in front of him. His breathing was still uneven and his side hurt, but that was the least of his concerns. Chiron gave Jason a confused look as he watch Percy dash off towards the infirmary, cradling Nico in his arms. He turned back towards Jason with great concern.

"What is going on? What happened to Nico?" Chiron asked with a tone that held worry and fear.

"Ch...Chiron. I'll explain...I'll explain every...thing." Jason said in between breaths. Chiron placed his hand on Jason's shoulder as he tried to reign in his breathing.

"All right. Explain." Chiron stated seriously.

.

.

Percy burst through the doors of the infirmary, knocking them off their hinges, but he didn't care. Nico needed help and fast.

"Help! Someone! I need help!" Percy shouted desperately. Apollo healers flooding out of their rooms when they heard Percy's pleading cry. They were on high alert when they saw Percy holding an unconscious Nico in his arms. They immediately called for a gurney. Percy gently placed Nico on the bed, and follow after the Apollo healers has they hurried down the hall to the emergency room. They had to restrain Percy when he tried to follow them into the room. They told him only healers were allowed in there, and that he had to wait out in the waiting room. Percy didn't argue. He just let them lead him out towards the waiting room as the remaining healers entered the emergency room. All he could do now was wait and pray that Nico will pull through.

.

.

.

.

That party really wore Will out. He's never partied that hard or for that long before. All of the singing and dancing was exhilarating. The campfire was scorching a bright pink and reached up high into the sky. He and the rest of the Apollo campers sang even after they felt like their lungs would collapse. It was amusing seeing Chiron let loose and have fun. Grover and the other satyrs played their wind pipes and made beautiful trees grow. The Demeter campers were making flowers blossom while Dionysus' children were wrapping satyrs up in their grape vines. The Aphrodite campers were making bets on which couple would kiss the most. Their bets were obviously on Percy and Annabeth. Whether they were right or not, Will didn't know because he didn't pay attention. The Hephaestus campers were the most liveliest ones throughout the whole celebration. With their cabin leader back and seeing Festus again, they couldn't help but cry and feel elated. Leo was the center of the party. He was dancing with Calypso and everyone around them couldn't resist, but to dance along. How Leo was able to pick up an immortal goddess, he will never know. Leo took turns taking people for rides on Festus while Jason just flew along side him. He search the crowd for Nico, and he found him laughing alongside Piper. He caught Will's gaze and sent a warm smile his way. Will felt his cheeks warm up at the sight of that beautiful smile. He returned the smile wholeheartedly. Nico turned back to listen to whatever Piper was telling him. Will shook his head at his own reaction. He was getting ahead of himself. Either way, it was the funniest night of Will's life. One he will never forget.

He was sleeping soundly until his cabin door burst open, revealing another Apollo camper. Will shot up from his bed, but then quickly laid back down when his head started spinning. The camper rushed towards Will, and shook the sleepiness right out of him. Though it didn't stop his head from spinning.

"Will get up! We need you at the infirmary, _ASAP_! Come on! Get out of bed! _Let's go_!" The camper shouted urgently as he kept shaking Will. Will got out of bed and pushed the guy away from him. After he was sue the world stopped spinning, he glared at the other Apollo camper.

"You didn't have to shake me so violently! What's with the hurry, anyways? What's going on at the infirmary?" Will said with a bit of annoyance and concern. Annoyance for having been woken up so harshly, and concern for the freaked out expression his cabin mate was wearing. The camper took a deep breath before he looked Will in the eyes and told him.

"It's Nico. He's dying."


	14. Chapter 14

Will was out the door before his cabin mate could react. He shouted towards Will, but Will was already sprinting towards the infirmary. He couldn't believe what he had just heard.

 _'It's Nico. He's dying.'_

How the hell could Nico be _dying_?! He was perfectly fine during the celebration. He gave Will a warm smile and everything. He didn't look like he was in pain or discomfort. But what if he was? What if he was just hiding his pain, and Will was just to stupid to realize it? That's exactly the sort of thing Nico would do. Hide his suffering so no one else could notice. Will cursed at himself. He should have realized something was wrong with Nico. Why didn't he? He pushed himself harder to get to the infirmary. He couldn't afford to lose even a mere second. That could be the difference between life and death for Nico. His life was hanging in the balance, and Will couldn't get there fast enough. Feet eating up the ground as he pushed himself to his limits. He practically flew into the infirmary. Only then did he notice that the doors had been blown off their hinges. Will ignored that and dashed down the hallway towards the emergency room. He bursted through the doors and the sight he saw made his heart stop.

Nico di Angelo was hooked up to a heart monitor with IVs and several other medical equipment attached to him. He had an oxygen mask tied to his face, and Will saw that he was receiving blood intravenously. Apollo healers were running around cleaning up the blood on his face and yelling orders at one another. Everyone was frantically moving around trying to get some ambrosia and nectar and fix the IV bags. Will was frozen on the spot. He didn't do anything except stare at Nico's dying form. One of the Apollo healers notice Will and rushed over to him.

"Will! Oh, thanks the Gods you're here! We need your help!" He pleaded. Will was brought out of his trance as he glanced at the healer, then at Nico, and then back at the healer.

"What happened to him?!" Will questioned panicking. The healer wiped his forehead with a napkin before looking back at Will with a serious expression.

"I don't know. One second everything was normal, and the next second, Percy comes bursting through the doors carrying Nico in his arms. He was unconscious, but his nose was bleeding and he was barely breathing. We immediately hooked him up to IVs and started feeding him nectar and ambrosia, but he isn't responding. His powers are nearly depleted, and his condition hasn't gotten much better. The nectar and ambrosia have prevented his condition from worsening, but Will...it's bad. Really bad. His body was fading slightly when Percy brought him in. There isn't much else we can do." The healer laid down the gruesome facts. Will's breath caught in his throat. It took him a few minutes to collect himself. He couldn't afford to stand there, dumbfounded. He needed to be by Nico's side. To do everything he can to save him. He steeled himself and headed over to where Nico lay on the medical bed. He examined the heart monitor. Nico's heartbeat was slightly uneven, but nothing too serious. That reassured Will a little. Nico wasn't in immediate threat of dying. He turned towards the other healers who were looking at him, waiting for his orders.

"How long has it been since you fed him nectar and ambrosia?" He questioned.

The healer who informed him of Nico's current condition spoke up.

"Not to long before you arrived. I say about 10 minutes ago." He informed. Will nodded and looked back at Nico. He was ghostly pale. He had a heated cloth on his forehead.

"Have you figured out what caused the bleeding from his nose?" Will questioned as he replaced the heated cloth with a new one. Nico's temperature was low, even by his standards.

"No, we haven't. Everything seems to be fine on the inside. We believe it's a side effect from his power depletion." Nico's body didn't seem to be fading at the moment. It pained Will to see Nico in this condition, so weak and fragile, but he had to remain focus. He couldn't let himself be distracted. Will ran all of the information he had gathered in his mind. No internal or external injuries. No declining heartbeat. Just severely low temperatures and power depletion. There wasn't much else they could do. Will didn't like it one bit. There had to be something else he could do! Anything!

"Will!"

Will snapped his head back up to see everyone staring at him. They were waiting for his orders. Will shook his head and composed himself. He needed to be in control. Everyone was counting on him. He couldn't fail Nico.

"Okay, try to feed him some more ambrosia and nectar. Not too much. If there's no internal injuries then remove the tube in his mouth. Let's try and raise his temperature and stabilize his breathing. His power depletion is the main cause of his slow recovery. We will figure out a way to help him recover it, but for now, let's start with what we can do now." Will stated with clear resolve. Everyone nodded and got to work. It would be a long process.

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Percy sat in the waiting room with his elbows propped up on his knees, head resting on his hands, and staring at the clock. How long had he been here? An hour? Two hours? He couldn't tell anymore. He just sat there and stared at the clock, willing it to move faster. The only sounds he heard were the annoying tick-tock of the clock and other little hospital noises. Annabeth, Piper, Jason, Leo, and even Calypso had come to see Nico. Chiron had stopped by to see how everything was and said he would come back when Nico was awake. Jason had explained everything that had happened. Everyone wore sorrowful and worried expressions. They sat there waiting for someone to come by and tell them how Nico was doing. No one had any doubts that Nico wouldn't be okay. Nico was many things, and being a fighter was one of them. They knew Nico would pull through this and be okay. They believed it with every fiber of their being. All they had to do was sit there and wait for their friend to get better.

Just then, the doors to the ER opened and everyone was on their feet in an instance. Will Solace walked up to the group with an exhausted expression. He looked worse for wear, but still managed a smile at the group as he spoke up.

"Everything is fine. Nico is safe. He is in no danger, whatsoever. He's sleeping right now. He's going to be asleep for awhile, it seems. It will take a while for him to fully recover his power, so until then he will be bedridden for a few days. Other than that, everything seems normal. He's breathing fine and there are no internal or external injuries. He'll be completely okay by the time he wakes up." Will reassured with a smile. Everyone let out a sigh of relief. It made Will exhale a breath he didn't know he was holding. Seeing there smiling faces warmed him up inside. Nico had really great friends. He was happy for that, and for the fact that Nico will pull through perfectly okay. If Will wasn't so tired, he would be jumping up and down with sheer happiness.

"That's wonderful!" Percy exclaimed with a bright smile on his face. Annabeth ran over and gave Will a big hug, which he returned wholeheartedly.

"Thank you for everything Will. We wouldn't know what we would have done without you. Thank you again." Annabeth said with joy as she hugged Will again. Will couldn't stop smiling.

"Not at all. I wanted to do everything I could to help Nico. You don't have to thank me, really." Will said sheepishly.

"Yes, we do! You're our best healer. It was all thanks to you that Nico is better." Piper said honestly. She didn't have to charmspeak Will into believing her. It was the truth.

"Yeah, she's right Will. It's all thanks to you Nico pulled through. You did great." Jason replied with a smile.

"Yeah, man! If anything ever happens to me, which something probably will, I'll make sure to have you as my personal healer." Leo chimed in with his overflowing enthusiasm.

"Thank you for helping our friend." Calypso said. She didn't even know Nico, and yet, she considered him a friend. That made everyone happy knowing Calypso was getting along with everyone.

"Really, Will. Thank you for your help. We really appreciate it." Percy said as he placed his hand on Will's shoulder. He gave Will a friendly smile, and Will thought his lips might fall off from smiling so hard.

"Can we see him?" Piper asked.

"Not yet. I'm sorry, but once we make sure his condition doesn't get worse, we will move him to a resting room. You can see him then." Will said with an apologetic look. Annabeth gave him a reassuring smile.

"It's alright, we understand. Will you let us know when you have moved him to his room?" Will nodded.

"Yes, I'll make sure to let you all know once he has settled in his room. In the meantime, you all should go back to your cabins and rest. You look like you've been here all morning." Percy and Jason huffed out a small laugh. They were here all morning because they were the ones who found Nico and brought him here. They were worn out from having to deal with Nico's dreadful outburst. Now that they know their friend was safe, a little nap sounded heavenly.

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. Make sure you get some rest too. Thanks again, Will." Percy replied.

Will smiled. "Don't worry, I will. Thanks."

Percy turned around to leave, but then turned back around to face Will. He had an apologetic smile on his face. He scratched the back of his head as he spoke.

"Oh, and sorry about the doors. I didn't mean to break them." He replied sheepishly. Will just laughed.

"It's alright, don't worry about it." He waved him off. Percy just smiled.

Everyone said their goodbyes before they all headed back to their cabins. Will let out another sigh of relief before he headed back to the ER to check up on Nico.


	15. Chapter 15

The next morning, Nico was moved into his own resting room. His condition had stabilized, and his powers were recovering smoothly. It would take a few days for them to recover completely, so until then, Nico would be staying at the infirmary under Will's watchful surveillance. Will was cleaning up and putting away his medical supplies while Nico slept soundly. Will couldn't have been more relieved that Nico was going to be okay. He felt like a huge weight was lifted off his shoulders. He turned to glance at Nico's sleeping form.

He was sleeping on his back. His breathing was calm and steady, and his face was peaceful. Will's breath caught in his throat at the sight. Nico looked so at ease while he was asleep. Like an angel, true to his name. Angelo. Will's personal little angel. He couldn't take his eyes off him. Nico di Angelo was positively breathtaking. It eased Will's mind knowing Nico was no longer suffering. That he can finally sleep in peace, without a care in the world. Nico always looked like he was in much need of rest. Will was happy he got it. He couldn't stop the smile that formed on his face when Nico turned in his sleep to face Will. He curled in on himself a little, and Will thought it was the most adorable thing ever. Will felt his cheeks warm up at the thought. He was glad Nico was asleep. He would probably question or tease Will about it. Will just couldn't help himself. But something was bugging him. So many questions ran through his head as he watched Nico's chest rise and fall steadily.

Just what had happen to Nico? How did it happen? Why hadn't he noticed? What was Nico really going through? What was he hiding from Will? So many questions with so little answers. He will have to make sure to ask Percy later.

Speaking of Percy. Will promised he would inform the group when Nico was placed in his resting room. Since Nico was sound asleep, now would be a good time to do it. Once Will had stored away all of his medical supplies, he took one final glance at Nico and left.

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Will went back to his cabin first to take a shower and change clothes. After he was done, he grabbed a bit to eat. He stayed at the infirmary over night to make sure nothing happened to Nico. After he ruffled his hair into a somewhat decent state, he headed to the Posiden cabin to inform Percy about Nico's condition.

He arrived at the Posiden cabin and knocked on the door. It took a few moments before Percy answered. His hair was sticking out in every direction, and he barely looked conscious. He covered a yawn that escaped out of his mouth with the back of his hand before he sent Will a sleepy smile.

"Hey, Will. How's it going?" Percy asked sleepily.

"Good. I just came to let you know that Nico is fine and he's been moved into his own resting room. He's asleep right now, but if you want to visit him shortly, you can." Will replied with a friendly smile. Percy yawned again.

"I'm sorry. Did I wake you?" Will questioned apologetically. Percy just smiled and shook his head.

"No, it's okay. Don't worry about it. I was going to get up anyways." That was a lie. Percy had been hoping to sleep in longer, but he didn't want to be rude to Will. He'd been asleep since yesterday when they found out Nico was going to be okay. That outburst really took its toll on him.

Will smiled. "Okay. Just thought I let you know."

"Thanks, Will. I'll get everybody and go see him." Percy stated. Will just nodded. They said their goodbyes and Will left. He made his way back to the infirmary. He wanted to be with Nico as much as he could, even if Nico was asleep.

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Will entered Nico's room, only to see him trying to get out of bed. Will rushed over to him as Nico put his foot down on the ground and struggled to stand. Will reached him just as he was about to fall and forced him to sit back down on his bed. Nico gave him an irritated look, only to have Will returned it with double the intensity.

"And just _where_ were you planning on going?" Will questioned Nico has he put his hand on Nico's shoulder to lay him down, to which Nico refused and forced his hands off him.

"I'm fine now. I can leave." Nico made to get up again, but was quickly pushed back down by Will. Will sent him a glare, daring him to try and get up again. Nico held his gaze but didn't try to get up.

"You most certainly will _not_. You're not fully healed yet, and I haven't given you permission to leave. You are staying here until you have fully recovered, and I don't want to hear a word about it. Doctor's orders. So just lay back down and rest, di Angelo." Will ordered him sternly. Nico sent Will an annoyed look. He didn't lay back down. He remained in a sitting position. When Will saw that Nico wasn't going to lay down, he just sighed and moved over to the counter to get a thermometer. At least Nico wasn't trying to leave.

When Nico saw what Will was getting, he rolled his eyes. He didn't need to check his temperature to know he was fine. Will walked up to Nico and ordered him to open his mouth, to which Nico refused.

"I'm fine, Will. I don't need my temperature to be checked constantly." Nico said stubbornly.

"How do you know I check your temperature constantly?" Will questioned. It was true. Ever since Nico was deemed safe and stabilized, Will had been checking his temperature every five minutes. It took forever to get Nico's temperature back to normal. Well, what was normal for Nico. Either way, Will wasn't going to admit it.

"Knowing you, you kept checking my temperature every five minutes to make sure I was alive and not a frozen corpse." Nico stated with an amused smirk. He had to spent three days in the infirmary with Will after the war. He can pretty much read Will like an open book by this point. That thought made Nico feel uncharacteristically happy on the inside, and he didn't know why. Every time he was around Will his emotions would start acting up. It was nerve-wracking. Will just gaped at Nico and quickly looked away. Gaze eating up the walls, the floor, anything but Nico's amused smirk. For the faintest second, Nico could have sworn he saw Will blush faintly. That just amused Nico even more.

"Well...uh, just whatever. Quit being so stubborn and open up." Will ordered embarrassingly. Nico chuckled ever so slightly, but complied. Will placed the thermometer under his tongue and held it there. He stared into Nico's olive green eyes, and couldn't help but think that they were the most beautiful eyes he has ever seen. The lighting in the room only illuminated them further. Those emerald eyes always mesmerized Will with their extraordinary radiance. Eyes that glowed with light while the rest of Nico was shrouded in darkness. Like finding a single blade of grass in the middle of a desolated area. Everything else dead and gone, while this single blade transcended all life. Refusing to fade away. Rebelling against the sorrowful environment around it. It was these eyes that proved Nico had light within him, even if he didn't believe it. They were gems of wonder. They were the light at the end of a dark tunnel. A tranquil forest where one could find serenity and happiness in life. Those emerald orbs were the first thing you wake up to, and the last thing you see as you shut your eyes. Will could get lost in those olive perfections. They were like an endless meadow that Will could dwell in for an eternity. He could stare into those breathtaking eyes for the rest of his life, and never once get bored with them. Their warmth tugged at Will like gravity. Drawing him closer into their ray of light. Will leaned forward, allowing their gravity to pull him in closer. Seeking to get lost and never find his way out. All Will could see, all he ever wanted to see, was right in front him. Staring back at him like open doors, waiting for him to walk through them. It felt so perfect and so right that Will couldn't help but—

 _Beep. Beep. Beep._

Will was pulled out his enticing trance as the thermometer went off. He quickly pulled it out of Nico's mouth and stepped back. His eyes were wide, and his heart was racing out of control. Nico stared back at him stunned. They kept staring at each other, until Will finally looked away. He quickly took several deep breaths and composed himself. He looked down at the thermometer so Nico couldn't see his face. He was blushing furiously as he realized what he had been doing. What he was about to do. He shook his head and paid attention to the reading on the thermometer. Anything to keep himself occupied from the sudden awkwardness that filled the room.

"Y-your temperature is normal. That's good." Will stammered. Nico's temperature being normal was good. What was not good was what he had done. Did Will really start leaning towards Nico? Did he really get that mesmerized by his eyes? Gods, if Will had gotten any closer he would have kissed Nico. The thought made Will's already crimson blush deepen more. His stomach was doing somersaults. His heart was racing so fast Will was positive it would beat right out of his chest. Will quickly turned around and headed towards the counter to put the thermometer away. Then he realized that he didn't rinse the damn thing after it had been in Nico's mouth. The mouth that Will was only inches away from kissing. Only mere breaths away from feeling those cold, pale lips on his own. Moving along his like two puzzle pieces coming together, lighting a fire inside him. Pressing his body flush up against Nico as he took his mouth with hunger. Forcing his mouth open to allow his tongue to—

"Will?"

Will jumped and dropped the thermometer in the sink. His breathing was erratic, and his hands were shaking. Realizing what he had been thinking, he quickly splashed cold water on his face to cool the fierce heat that arose in his cheeks. He turned off the sink and grabbed a nearby towel to wipe his face. He grabbed the thermometer he had dropped and wiped it clean before putting it away. He took several deep breaths to compose himself.

 _'What the hell was I just thinking? Did I seriously just dream of making out with Nico. Gods, what is wrong with me?'_

"Will?"

Nico was calling him, but Will didn't dare turn around. Not until he was absolutely positive he had collected himself. He didn't trust his voice enough to speak. After taking a few more deep breaths, Will steeled himself and turned around. Nico was staring intently at him. His face no longer looked stunned, but his eyes held an emotion Will couldn't make out. Confusion? Curiosity? Worry?

"Are you...okay?" Nico asked hesitantly. There was this awkward tension in the air, and neither demigod dared to move. Nico was trying to process what had just transpired between them. All he knew was that when Will held the thermometer in his mouth, Nico was going to protest, saying he could hold it himself. Then, Will started staring at him intensely. Nico's breath caught in his throat as he gazed into those sky blue eyes. They stared at each other for what felt like hours, until Will started leaning in towards him. Nico's heart started pounding in his chest as Will drew closer and closer. He couldn't move or react at all. Only sit there as Will was merely inches away from him. Nico could feel his warm breath ghosting past his lips. His cheeks were burning and he felt his eyes drifting shut. Will was so close...until the thermometer went off and ruined their moment. Will jumped back, and the two just stared at each other. Neither one of them could form words. Their brains have also seemed to abandon them as they tried to react, but couldn't. Now Will wasn't turning around to face him, and Nico felt a pang in his chest. He wanted—no, _needed_ Will to look at him. To look at him with those sharp blue eyes, and tell him...tell him...

Nico didn't know what he wanted Will to tell him, but he just wanted Will to say something! Anything to erase this suffocating tension that was in the air. He saw Will take several deep breaths before finally turning around. His cheeks were flustered, and Nico couldn't stop his heart from skipping a beat. Will looked so...breathtaking. Nico didn't want to stop staring at him, but he knew it was making Will uncomfortable. He looked away as Will began to speak.

"Yeah..I'm fine. Sorry, I was just lost in thought." Will lied. He final composed himself enough to face Nico, but once he saw those olive eyes, Will felt his heart beat faster.

 _'Damn, I'm seriously losing it today.'_ Will thought to himself.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Will thanked the gods for sending a distraction to ease the awkwardness as he made his way to open it. It was Percy and everyone else. They all wore bright smiles, and sent a wave of reassurrement his way. Will stepped back to allow them to enter. The room was a decent size, but having eight demigods in it made it a little bit crowded.

"Thanks Will." Annabeth said with a smile. Will returned the smile with a nod of his head. They all made a circle around Nico's bed. Nico had re-positioned himself so that he was sitting with his back against the head board. He sent a smile at his friends. Percy was the first to speak.

"Hey, Nico. How are you doing? You feeling better?"

Nico nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine now. Thanks for helping me. And you too." He turned towards Jason. They both smiled at him, and Percy placed his hand on his shoulder and squeezed it. A small reassurring gesture that made Nico feel much better.

"Hey, no problem. That's what friends are for." Percy replied and everyone agreed. They all took turns saying how worried they were for Nico and how happy they are that he's alright now. It made Nico feel relaxed. He loved having his friends here with him.

All of their friendly conversations were cut off when the door to Nico's room burst open and in came an African American girl with shoulder-length, curly cinnamon brown hair and beautiful golden eyes. She searched the crowd until her eyes landed on Nico. She pushed through the crowd and practically tackled him. She pulled him into a crushing hug that knocked the wind out of him. It took Nico a couple seconds to recover before he returned the hug fiercely. He buried his head in her shoulder and held her tight. She held on desperately to Nico, fearing that if she let him go, he would disappear. Just then, a guy came running in. He was a tall, muscular teen with black hair and brown eyes. His shoulders were broad, and he had a lean build.

"Hazel! Frank!" Jason called them. Hazel Levesque and Frank Zhang were heroes from the Prophecy of Seven. Hazel was a daughter of Pluto, the Roman form of Hades, and Frank was a son of Mars, the Roman form of Ares. They're Roman demigods from Camp Jupiter. They traveled with the rest of the gang and helped to defeat Gaea.

"Oh, thank Pluto you're okay! What happened Nico?! We got a message from Jason saying you were in the hospital because you almost died!" Hazel shrieked. Everyone turned to look at Jason. Nico turned to glare at him.

"I wasn't _dying_!" Nico shouted. Jason burrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"I didn't say you were dying. I just said that you lost control of your powers and had to be taken to the ER." Jason defended himself.

"But the letter said Nico was in critical condition." Frank spoke up.

"Yeah, but I didn't say he was dying." Jason clarified. Hazel looked thoroughly confused. She turned towards Frank.

"Frank, you were the one that told me the letter said Nico was dying." Frank looked at her sheepishly. He rubbed the back of his head as he looked at the ground.

"I-I guess I...misinterpreted it. I'm sorry Hazel." Frank said apologetically. He looked at Hazel with an innocent look on his face. Nico couldn't help but laugh.

Everyone turned to him to see what was so funny. They all wore confused expression as Nico quieted himself down.

"Sorry, I just...missed you guys." He said honestly, which earned him a cooing sound from Leo. Nico turned to glare at him halfheartedly. That's when Hazel and Frank became aware of Leo's presence. Hazel sucked in her breath as Frank froze on the spot. That's when everyone remembered that they forgot to inform Hazel and Frank of Leo's return. Leo sent a wary smile towards Hazel and waved at her.

"Hey, Hazel. It's been awhile. I missed you. You too, Frank." He turned to offer Frank a smile. Frank just stared at Leo dumbfounded. Neither one of them could believe he was alive.

"Leo...?" They both asked in unison.


	16. Chapter 16

"You're alive?!" Hazel gasped. Leo nodded, but before he could answer, Hazel exploded.

"Leo...what—h-how are you still alive?! What's going on?! W-When did you...?! Leo! We all saw you die! You...you told us you were going to die and—"

"Hazel, let me explain." Leo cut her off. Frank went to stand next to her. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and brought her in closer. Hazel leaned into Frank without tearing her gaze away from Leo. She had tears in her eyes, but they didn't fall. Gems started popping up out of the ground. That happened when Hazel was nervous or shocked. Frank looked at Leo with an unbelievable expression.

"Okay. Explain." Frank said. Leo took a deep breath and told his story.

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After the explanation, and a few more bruises on Leo's arm, Hazel pulled Leo into a crushing bear hug. If Leo hadn't known better, he would have thought some of his ribs were broken. He returned the crushing hug. After he was released, he also gave Frank a hug, to which he returned with a fierce hug of his own. Now Leo was positive some of his ribs were broken.

Leo was tapping on Frank's shoulder as if he was tapping out in a wrestling match. "Okay, King Kong. I missed you too. Mind letting me go before you hug me to death."

Frank released him and apologized. Leo shrugged it off and offered him a smile. Everything was settled now. After Hazel and Frank were introduced to Calypso, they stayed awhile longer. They broke off into various conversations. Will just stayed back and clean up the counter. There wasn't much to clean up, but Will wanted everyone to spend time with Nico. Besides, he still hadn't fully collected himself after their whole awkward moment. He didn't want to make things more awkward between them. He chanced a glance at Nico here and there. Sometimes his gaze caught Nico's and he would immediately turn away. He couldn't hold his gaze for long because thoughts about his fantasies and their awkward moment would resurface, and Will had to force them to the back of his mind. He sighed as he finished putting away all of the medical supplies. He turned around to watch the group converse with one another.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to ask. Why didn't Reyna come with you guys?" Percy questioned.

"One Praetor has to remain at Camp Jupiter in case something happens. She allowed me to come, and said she would come by to check up on Nico when I return." Franks answered. That made Nico happy knowing he would get to see Reyna. He thought of her as an older sister. They traveled together when he assisted Reyna in bringing the Athena Parthenos to Camp Half-Blood as a sign of peace and to end the feud between Greeks and Romans. Nico and her became very close friends. She also accepted Nico for who he was, and Nico couldn't help but feel grateful to have someone like her.

"That's good." Jason replied. Everyone agreed and broke out into small talk. Will couldn't help but smile at all of the people who care for and support Nico. He caught Percy looking at him, followed by Jason. They both gave a friendly smile before turning back towards Nico. Will occasionally caught them glancing back to look at him then back to Nico, and start whispering to one another. Will raised his eyebrow in suspicion, but didn't question it. After the last round of laughter died down, the group started saying their goodbyes. They wanted Nico to get some rest, even though he insisted he wasn't tired. That earned him a punch from Hazel.

"No you're not! Don't try to act tough, Nico. You need to rest. And don't you ever scare me like that again! Understand?" Hazel threatened. Will had to hold in a laugh. Hazel was a protective sister, and that made Will feel reassured that someone was just as strict with Nico getting rest as he was. Nico promised and pulled his sister into a tight embrace. Everyone said their goodbyes and started making their way to the door. They all thanked Will for his help. Annabeth and Piper gave him a hug, Frank shook his hand, Leo gave him a high five, and Calypso smiled and waved at him. Will returned all of their friendly gestures. As everyone made their way to the door, they noticed Percy, Jason, and Hazel remained where they were standing.

"Aren't you guys coming?" Questioned Piper.

"I'm going to stay for a little longer." Hazel said. Nico couldn't help the smile that found its way on his face.

"Actually, Hazel, we would like to speak to Nico in private." Percy said, gesturing between him and Jason. Nico narrowed his eyes suspiciously at them, and Hazel had a confused look on her face.

"About what?" Hazel questioned.

"We wanted to sort something out with Nico since we were the ones who found him and brought him here when he lost control." Percy stated.

"I'm sorry Hazel, but it's personal. We won't take too long. Please?" Jason pleaded.

"Guys, what's going on? What do you need to talk to me about?" Nico asked suspiciously. Both Percy and Jason turned to him with pleading looks. They silently asked Nico to go along with it. Nico didn't like it one bit.

"If it's about Nico, then I can stay. He's my brother." Hazel defended. Everyone was curious as to what had gotten into the boys.

"Hazel, please just trust us on this. It's important that we talk to Nico about this alone. I'm sorry but you can't listen to what it is." Percy tried convincingly. He could tell Hazel was getting irritated. They both gave her pleading looks. It was important that they talked to Nico alone. If they had to beg, then they would.

"...Fine." Hazel finally gave in. Percy and Jason broke out into huge smiles. They thanked Hazel greatly. She gave Nico one finally hug before making her way to the door. She stopped to give Will a hug and thanked him for everything before she left along with everyone else. Will lingered behind and glanced at the boys.

"Sorry Will, but that means you too." Percy said apologetically.

"We promise it won't take too long." Jason said. Will had a weird feeling rise in him, and he didn't know why.

"Okay. Just make sure you don't keep him up for too long. He needs his rest." Will said. They both nodded. With one final glance towards Nico, Will left.

After they made sure that they were indeed alone, both demigods turned to face Nico. They had a smug smirk on their face and a knowing look in their eyes. That look spoke to Nico, and he didn't like what he heard.

 _We know._


	17. Chapter 17

No one moved. Nico sat in his bed and stared at Percy and Jason, both staring back with knowing looks. Percy stood with his hands in his pockets while Jason stood with his arms crossed over his chest. No one spoke as the silence stretched on. After what felt like hours, Nico snapped.

"Stop staring at me like that! It's freaking me out! If you have something to say, then just _say it_!" Percy and Jason looked at each other before turning back to Nico. Percy was the first to speak up.

"So, Nico...seems like you're doing good." Percy had his signature smirk plastered on his face. Nico narrowed his eyes, but before he could say anything, Jason spoke up.

"Actually, it seems like you're doing _really_ good. Great even." He also had a smug look on his face. They had a mysterious glint in their eyes that made Nico uncomfortable. Nico was about to speak when Percy beat him to it.

"This is a nice room you got." Percy looked around the room. Jason looked around and nodded.

"Yeah. It's really nice and cozy."

"Not too over the edge for you."

"I like the color of the wall."

"Really brings out the coziness, don't you think?"

"I agree. And that bed looks very comfortable."

"Yeah, it does. Comfortable to sit in and watch a movie."

"Comfortable to lean back and relax."

"Comfortable to snuggle up and—"

"Will you guys shut up!" Nico screamed. He had enough of the two's stupid back and forth. Percy and Jason just burst out laughing, not at all taken aback by Nico's rising irritation. Nico had to suppress the urged to punch both of them. After their round of laughter was over, both demigods took a sit on either side of Nico's bed. Not too close, but close enough that Nico wouldn't feel uncomfortable.

"Okay, okay. We're sorry. We couldn't help but mess with you." Percy said with a chuckle at the end. Nico huffed out an annoyed sound.

"I thought you guys had something important to say?" Nico questioned, his annoyance fading away.

"We do. We just didn't want to jump right in." Percy stated. Nico's patience was wearing thin.

"Just spit it out already!" Nico demanded.

"Alright! _Geez_ , would it hurt to have a little fun?" Percy question sarcastically, which earned him a glare from Nico. Jason placed his hand on Percy's shoulder to shut him up. He turned to face Nico and gave him a genuine smile.

"We know, Nico." Jason said, as if that answered everything. Nico raised his brow in confusion.

"What the hell does that mean?" Nico questioned.

"It means," Percy began, "that we know what's going on between you and a certain someone." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at Nico. That made Nico scrunch his up in confusion. He still didn't understand what Percy was implying.

"With who?" Nico asked. Percy let out an exasperated sigh and turned to Jason.

"Can I just say it?" Jason chuckled at Percy's impatience.

"Fine. Go ahead." Jason said. Percy beamed at this and turned around so fast, Nico was surprised he didn't get whiplash.

"Okay, fine. Here's the truth. Me and my good buddy Jason here," he pointed at Jason, "know that there's something going on between you and Will, and we want to know what it is. Right now." Nico stared at Percy incredulously. The two demigods just stared at Nico, waiting for his reply. However, Nico was to dumbfounded to speak. So many thoughts were rushing through his mind that he couldn't process them all.

 _'How do they know something happened between me and Will? Were they standing right outside the door when that happened? No, they in came later. But how the hell do they know?!'_ Nico practically screamed in his mind. It then occurred to him that they were still waiting for an answer. Their smirks grew wider, and Nico couldn't help but scowl at them. The longer he waited to reply, the more sure they grew at the fact that something did happen between him and Will. Nico composed himself before he answered.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Nico stated flatly. Instead of deflating at the answer, their smirks only grew, until it was a full blown smile. Nico felt himself cringed at what was to come.

" _Liar_!" They both said in unison. Nico jumped a little at their sudden answer, and scolded himself. The duo broke out into laughs before speaking.

"Don't lie, Nico. We know something's up. You were both blushing like crazy when we walked in. Will looked like he was about to pass out. What happened Nico? Come on, tell us!" Percy persisted. Nico swallowed nervously.

"N-Nothing happened." Nico mentally slapped himself for stammering.

"You stammered." Percy said.

"What? No I didn't." Nico defended.

"Yes you did"

"Shut up Percy."

"Tell us."

"I told you I don't know what you're talking about."

"You're lying."

"..No I'm not."

"You hesitated."

" _Shut up_!"

"Okay, that's _enough_!" Jason cut in. Nico was trying to kill Percy with his eyes while the son of Posiden had a triumphant look on his face. Jason punch Percy in the shoulder, which earned him a glare. Jason sighed before turning back to Nico. He offered a small smile before speaking.

"Nico, listen. We're not trying to make fun of you or anything. Well, at least I'm not." He glared at Percy. Percy scoffed at him. Jason just rolled his eyes and continued. "We just want you to be happy. You know that we'll always support you no matter what. So, if there's something going on between you and Will then it's okay to tell us." Jason reassured with a genuine smile. His voice was soothing and calm. That helped Nico relax and take a deep breath in. Jason was right. He can trust these two. They would understand and not laugh at him. Nico mulled it over in his mind. He was nervously playing with his hands. Even though he knows Percy and Jason won't make fun of him, he still didn't feel comfortable confessing his feeling to them. Probably because he didn't complete understand what he felt towards Will himself. He was just so confused. After the war, Nico has gotten closer to Will. They had fought together during the war, and Will was the one to patch him up during the aftermath. Those three days in the infirmary were secretly some of the funniest days of Nico's life. They didn't do much except talk and joke around, but it made Nico happy. Really happy. It felt good to sit back and laugh the day away. At first, Nico disliked the way Will was able to make him laugh and the way his lips turned into a smile without his permission. But now, Nico liked it. More than liked it. He loved the way he could finally relax again. His whole life has been nothing but complete and utter misery. He wasn't even from this century, he lost his sister when he was still young, his father constantly reminded him of how much of a failure he was, and nobody ever spare him a second glance. Not to mention that he was a homosexual. That deathly frightened Nico. He kept it hidden for as long as he could. He always tried to deny himself, until he was finally able to accept himself. He was able to let go of the past and move forward. Now, Nico didn't have anything to worry about. He could be happy and no one would judge. All of the campers have opened up to him and accepted him. Nico couldn't have asked more from them. He's starting to realize that he has to stop dwelling on the past and look forward to the future. But even still, he doesn't fully trust himself to open up completely. Nico wants to change that. Little by little, he'll let people get close to him. Starting with the two powerful demigods sitting in front of him. He looked back up to see the two looking at him with reassuring smiles. Nico took one more deep breath before looking back up at the two.

"...Will tried to...kiss me." It came out as a whisper, but Percy and Jason were still able to hear it. They both gaped at Nico with surprised filled eyes. Then, out of nowhere, they jumped to their feet and screamed.

 _"OH MY GODS! ARE YOU SERIOUS?! ARE YOU FREAKING SERIOUS?! HE TRIED TO—WHAT—NICO! OH MY GODS! HE TRIED TO KISS YOU?! WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN?! DID THIS JUST HAPPEN?! WHAT—HOW DID THIS HAPPENED?! FOR THE LOVE OF THE GODS NICO! WHAT DID YOU DO?! DID YOU TRY TO KISS HIM TOO?! OH MY GODS, OH MY GODS, OH MY GODS! DUDE, HOLY MOTHER OF—"_

"SSSHHHHHH! Keep it down!" Nico whispered screamed. The duo were jumping up and down swearing to every god there was. They were smiling so hard, Nico thought their faces would rip apart. Nico considered throwing his pillow at them, but didn't know which one to throw it at. Sparks were flying off of Jason, and Percy was waving his arms around like an idiot. Nico shushed them again, and threatened to have the earth swallow them up if they didn't shut up. The duo quickly tried to calm down, but couldn't stop jumping with sheer excitement. They remained standing as they bombarded Nico with questions.

 _"Oh my gods are you serious?! He seriously tried to kiss you?! Dude, Nico, that's freaking adorable! What did you do?!"_ Percy couldn't contain his happiness. He was jumping where he stood.

 _"Holy Zeus I can't believe it! What did you do?! You have to tell us everything!"_ It was weird seeing Jason so overly excited. He was always so serious. Nico felt himself squirm under their intense stare.

"J-Just a few minutes before you guys got here. He was checking my temperature with a thermometer, and then he started...leaning in..." Nico trailed off as Percy and Jason squealed. They literally just squealed. Nico was beginning to think that maybe he shouldn't have told them, but it was too late to go back now. Before Nico could continue, he was cut off by Percy.

"Dear Posiden that's so," Percy squealed, "Oh my gods! _I can't even!_ "

"Sshhhh! Let him finish! Go on, go on!" Jason encouraged. Every now and then, sparks flew from his body. Nico only ever saw sparks fly off of Jason's body when he was angry or in battle. He never saw it happen when Jason was excited.

"Umm...well...n-nothing happened. Will was checking my t-temperature, and b-before he could...you know...k-kiss me...the thermometer went off. He back away...and that was it." Nico concluded nervously. He wanted to crawl into a hole and never come out. His stomach was turning, and he couldn't keep his gaze on the two overly excited demigods in front of him. They couldn't stand still. They looked like they were going to explode any second now. Both boys let out disappointed groans. Percy rubbed his face with both of his hands, and Jason shook his head.

"You have got to be kidding me! Where is that stupid thermometer? I'll break that _dam_ thing." Percy threatened as he stomped towards the counter and rummaged through the cabinets.

"Percy stop. You're over exaggerating." Nico said as Percy turned around and scoffed at him.

"Nico it's that thermometer's fault that you and Will didn't kiss!" Percy said exasperatedly. Nico just sighed irritably. He rubbed his temples as a headache was starting to form. Jason took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. He let out an irritable sigh before he put his glasses back on and looked at Nico.

"Nico, I'm sorry." Jason apologized. Nico looked at him confusedly.

"Why are you apologizing?" Jason ran his fingers through his hair while Percy finally found the _dam_ thermometer. He let out a triumphant cheer before proceeding to bash the device against the counter. Jason shouted at Percy, but when Percy was making no attempt to stop his assault, Jason ran over there and wrestle the _dam_ thermometer out of his hand. They bickered back and forth before finally Nico had enough.

"Both of you better stop it, or so help me I will take that _dam_ thermometer and sho—"

 _Knock. Knock._

All three demigods froze. They turned when they heard the handle to the door turn, and saw Will walk in. Jason quickly hid the thermometer behind his back as Percy through his arm around his shoulder and held him in a light head lock. Will stared at the two suspiciously before turning to see Nico sitting on his bed looking at him. When he turned back to Percy and Jason, they had already separated.

"Sorry. I just came by to see if everything was okay. And to see what all the noise was about." Will said. Percy and Jason gave him their friendly smiles. Will grew uneasy, but was saved from standing their like an idiot when Nico spoke up.

"Sorry, Will. Everything's fine. It's just that these two are idiots and don't know how to keep their mouths shut." Nico finished as he sent a glare at the two powerful demigods. Percy just shrugged and Jason continued smiling.

"Yeah, nothing's wrong. We were just messing around with Nico." Percy lied.

"Sorry about the commotion, Will." Jason apologized.

"Oh, it's okay. I just wanted to make sure everything was okay." Will replied with a smile.

"You mean you wanted to make sure Nico was okay." Percy muttered under his breath. Jason jabbed him in the side, and he winced. Will watched the two exchange glares when Nico's groan caught his attention. He turned to see the child of Hades fistng his hair and slightly bent over. He quickly ran to his side, but Nico straightened himself out before Will could ask what was wrong. The sons of the sky and sea looked on with fond smiles. They both made their ways to the door to leave.

"Okay, I think it's time we let Nico get some rest. We'll be going." The son of Jupiter announced. Both Nico and Will turned to watch them as they were leaving.

"Okay. Thank you for stopping by. Take care." Will thanked. Both demigods smiled and waved.

"Thanks, you too. Bye Nico!" Jason called out.

"Take care Nico!" Percy shouted.

"Bye guys!" Nico answered back. Him and Will watched as the two demigods exited the room and shut the door behind them. The room was silent for a few minutes before Will spoke up.

"So...what did you guys talk about? Will asked nervously. He shouldn't have asked, but he wanted to know. Nico groaned and fell back in his bed. He brought his arms up to cover his face.

"You don't want to know."


	18. Chapter 18

It was dinner time, so after Will had finished bandaging up his last patient, he made his way to the dinning pavilion. Time flew by with all the work he had. After Percy and everyone left, he stayed behind to make sure Nico was sound asleep. Even after he knew Nico was asleep, he still lingered for a few more moments just to take in the sight of Nico's sleeping form. That sounded creepy, but Will didn't care. Nico had been giving him heart attacks one right after the other. He was both physically and mentally drained from making sure Nico didn't kick the bucket every five minutes. Once he finally fell asleep, Will let out an exhausted sigh of relief. But things still felt awkward between them. Will mentally slapped himself for creating the awkward tension between them in the first place. If he hadn't tried to kiss Nico, they wouldn't be so wary of each others' presence. But still...Will couldn't bring himself to regret it. He knew he had feelings for the child of Hades. He just wasn't sure if Nico felt the same way. It hurt to think of these feelings as only being one-sided. Almost the same way it hurt to think that he was the only homosexual demigod. Will always had that underlying fear of people finding out his secret and rejecting him. Who wouldn't, right? After years of fearing his secret, Will was finally able to throw that fear away and accept himself. He knew he had nothing to be afraid of. His father, Apollo, was never afraid to be himself, so why should he? He trusted and believed that his friend would never reject him over something like that. With those positive thoughts, Will was able to come to terms with himself and be happy. He secretly hoped that Nico would accept him and return his feelings.

As he arrived to the dinning pavilion, he grabbed some food, made an offering to he father, and took a seat at the Apollo table. The other Apollo campers greeted him, and they all broke out into friendly conversation. Will had just finished his meal when someone tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around to see Jason smiling at him.

"Hey Jason. What's up?" He greeted nicely.

"Nothing. I just came over because we wanted you to sit with us at the Posiden table. We wanted to talk and thank you for everything you've done for us." Jason offered as he pointed towards the table where the rest of the group sat, never losing his kind smile. Will turned around to ask if the others were okay with it. They all nodded, so Will said his farewells before getting up, and following Jason back to the Posiden table.

Everyone welcomed him with open arms. Will was smiling so hard, his cheeks hurt. He really enjoyed being around this group of extraordinary demigods. They were like one big happy family, and that made Will feel extremely grateful for having them as friends. He sat in between Jason and Percy. Call it irony, but Will didn't seem to care. Annabeth, Piper, Leo, Calypso, Hazel, and Frank were there as well.

"Glad you could join us!" Percy said cheerfully as he clasped Will on the shoulder.

"Thank you for inviting me." Will thanked him with a bright smile. Everyone greeted and thanked Will before breaking off into cheerful conversations.

"So how is Calypso's cabin coming along?" Hazel asked.

"Great! Since I'm partaking in the construction, of course." Leo replied with his satisfying smirk. Calypso rolled her eyes, but smiled nonetheless.

"That's great! I can't wait to see it." Percy said and everyone nodded in agreement. It made Percy happy knowing Calypso would finally have a place where she could live freely and happily. Seeing her smile like that warmed him up inside. He couldn't have asked for a better person to be by Calypso's side then Leo.

"How long until it's finished?" Frank questioned curiously. He had finished his food, and was now playing with one of those Chinese handcuff toys that Will had seen an Ares camper play with. He also remembered having to teach that Ares camper how to get out of it when they couldn't get their fingers free and started panicking.

"About another month. With Annabeth's killer design and my handy tool belt, we may even finish sooner." Leo said excitedly. He was practically jumping where he sat. Annabeth nodded with a smile.

"What's it going to look like?" Hazel asked, rolling a diamond around the table.

"Sorry, but I can't spoil the surprise. Not with Sunshine sitting next to me." Leo smiled lovingly towards Calypso. She returned the smile wholeheartedly. Will couldn't help but feel all warm and fuzzy inside. He didn't know Calypso that well, but it seemed her and Leo were perfect for each other.

"So Will, how's Nico?" Percy asked as he took a sip of his blue soda. Will was a little taken aback by the sudden change in topic, but he quickly recovered and answered.

"He's doing fine. He'll be able to leave after a week or so. He's sleeping right now." The group smiled at him. Jason spoke up next.

"Did he eat anything?" Will blanked for a moment. Did he give Nico food before he came here? The group looked at him, waiting for an answer. Only after a few minutes had passes did he remember that he didn't leave food for Nico. Will cursed under his breath.

"No. I forgot to give him food before I came here. Shoot, I'm sorry." Will said apologetically. He felt guilty for not remembering. How could he forget something so important?

"Hey, it's okay. You can take it to him now." Jason offered. Percy nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, Will. Go ahead. Nico is a cranky person, but he's even worse if he doesn't eat anything." Will could believe that. He's seen how Nico was when he was sleep deprived. Not having ate anything could not only worsen his mood, but worsen his condition as well. Will thanked them before standing up and heading off to get some food. He heard Percy call after him.

"And make sure you check his temperature. I heard it's going to be chilly tonight." Will called back stating he would before continuing on his way back to the infirmary.

When Will had gone a good distance away, Percy and Jason turned to each other, and gave one another high fives. The whole group looked at them suspiciously.

"Okay. What's going on between you guys?" Hazel demanded more than asked. They both shrugged it off as nothing, but Hazel wasn't buying it one bit.

"I know something's going on between you two, and I want to know what it is right now." Her voice left no room for argument.

"It's really nothing." Percy tried to convince. Hazel was starting to get a little irritated.

"No it's something. What is it?" Hazel pushed on. The sons of the Big Three glanced at one another before turning back to face Hazel.

"I'm sorry Hazel, but we promised Nico that we wouldn't tell anyone until he was comfortable with it." Jason explained. He hoped Hazel would just understand and drop it. But of course, she didn't.

"Until he's comfortable with what?" Hazel questioned irritably. Neither one spoke up. Hazel was about to go off on them when Annabeth spoke up.

"You guys said you had something you wanted to discuss with Nico about. You said it was about the incident." She questioned the both of them.

"You also mentioned it was personal." Piper added.

" _It was_." They both answered in unison before looking shocked at their sudden synchronization. They've been doing that lately. Piper sent a look to the girls that told them to let her handle it. They all smirked before she turned to face her boyfriend.

"Oh come on, Jason. You can tell me, _can't you_?" She directed every ounce of her will into her charmspeak. Percy cursed under his breath. How could he forget about Piper's charmspeak? Her powers of persuasion were so overwhelmingly effective that even though Piper wasn't directing it at him, he ha to fight back the urge to open his mouth and confess everything.

Jason knew Piper was deliberately using charmspeak to extract information from him, and he cursed himself when he felt himself turn to face her. His body was rebelling against his commands as he used every bit of his willpower to keep his mouth shut. He'd be lying if he said it wasn't a challenge. Her words seem to resonate all throughout his body. His lips parted to speak, and Jason could feel his vocal cords begging to speak up and tell her everything she wanted to know. He felt eager, desired to tell her Nico's secret. He was trying to gain some kind of self-control over himself, but he knew he was fighting a losing battle.

"We never keep secrets from one another. Right, _Jason_?" The way she said his name sent a shiver down his spine. He unconsciously licked his lips before opening them to speak.

"Nico almost kis—"

 _BOOM!_

The entire dining hall was silenced. All heads turned towards the Posiden table where that very audible sound came from. It even caught the attention of Chiron and Dionysus. Everyone turned to see Jason grabbing his head, and Annabeth restraining Percy's arms. Piper was frantically trying to comfort Jason while the latter rubbed his head. He turned and glared at the son of the sea god.

"What the hell was that for?!" Jason practically yelled. There was a moment where they locked eyes and stared at one another. Neither one spoke. The tension was so thick in the air, you could feel it. The atmosphere changed. It reminded them of a sound like encroaching thunder before a storm, striking the anxiety of a fight between the two sons of the Big Three into the souls of every camper in the pavilion. Chiron was making his way towards the table to prevent a fight from breaking out while Mr. D stood with his hands behind his back and an amused smile on his face. Seeing a fight between the two most powerful demigods in camp would certainly be entertaining.

"You were about to tell her! I had to do something to shut you up!" Percy responded while struggling to be freed from Annabeth's harsh restraints. He wasn't having much luck.

"And throwing your cup at my head was the only way how?!" He was still rubbing his head. A headache had already started forming and Jason cursed. Even though he felt angry, he knew that if Percy hadn't thrown his cup at him, he would have told the group Nico's secret. If that happened, he would never have forgiven himself.

"Come on, we're leaving." Percy said swiftly as he made to stand up, but was pulled back down by Annabeth.

"Percy, enough! You're not going anywhere. You are going to sit down and explain to everyone what is going on. You guys have been acting weird, and we've had enough of it. Now talk." Annabeth demanded scoldingly. All eyes glued to him. Piper and Hazel glared daggers at him while Calypso looked as though she was disappointed at him. Leo and Frank gave him looks that told him he was on his own.

 _'Thanks for the support guys.'_ Percy thought sarcastically.

He looked at Jason who gave him an uncertain look. Percy didn't seem to have any options left. Everyone was waiting for him to say something. What was worse was that they had the attention of every demigod at the pavilion. He had to say something soon or the girls would tear him apart.

He glanced around the table and noticed something. The cups on the table were still filled with water or soda. An idea came to mind as he chanced a glance towards Jason. Once he caught his gaze, he motioned towards the cups with his eyes. Jason gazed towards the cups and back at Percy. A slight smile graced his lips, and Percy couldn't help but smile back. Jason thought exactly like him. He reached out to the waters with his will and forced them to obey him. He could feel the liquids slowly coming to life. Percy knew what to do. With his plan in mind, he took a deep breath before speaking.

"You're right. We have been acting weird and it's not fair to you guys. We shouldn't have kept this a secret. You're our friends and you guys deserve to know. Nico can just suck it up and deal with it. The truth is...I'm sorry." Percy finished off, but before anyone could ask what he meant, the liquids shot out of the cups and splashed everyone in the face. The drinks soaked their faces, hair, and even a little bit of their shirts. Annabeth released Percy's arms as she tried wiping her face. Piper and Hazel rubbed their eyes fiercely. Calypso let out a shocked gasp as she tried to get the soda out of her eyes. Leo and Frank were trying to wipe their faces with their shirt. The distraction gave Percy and Jason enough time to get up and bolt. Jason had it easy. He just had to get up and run. Percy had to get up, run around the table to where Jason was, and then high-tail out of there. Hazel was one of the first ones to recover. She reached out to grab Percy, but her arm was blasted away by a strong gust of winds. That allowed Percy the chance to escape. Both demigods bolted off as the shouts of their companions faded away.

He looked at Jason who gave him an uncertain look. Percy didn't seem to have any options left. Everyone was waiting for him to say something. What was worse was that they had the attention of every demigod at the pavilion. He had to say something soon or the girls would tear him apart.

He glanced around the table and noticed something. The cups on the table were still filled with water or soda. An idea came to mind as he chanced a glance towards Jason. Once he caught his gaze, he motioned towards the cups with his eyes. Jason gazed towards the cups and back at Percy. A slight smile graced his lips, and Percy couldn't help but smile back. Jason thought exactly like him. With his plan in mind, he took a deep breath before speaking.

"You're right. We have been acting weird and it's not fair to you guys. We shouldn't have kept this a secret. You're our friends and you guys deserve to know. Nico can just suck it up and deal with it. The truth is...I'm sorry." Percy finished off, but before anyone could ask what he meant, he focused on the liquids in the cups and forced them to obey his will. The liquids shot out of the cups and splashed everyone in the face. The drinks soaked their faces, hair, and even a little bit of their shirts. Annabeth released Percy's arms as she tried wiping her face. Piper and Hazel rubbed their eyes fiercely. Calypso let out a shocked gasp as she tried to get the soda out of her eyes. Leo and Frank were trying to wipe their faces with their shirt. The distraction gave Percy and Jason enough time to get up and bolt. Jason had it easy. He just had to get up and run. Percy had to get up, run around the table to where Jason was, and then high-tail out of there. Hazel was one of the first ones to recover. She reached out to grab Percy, but her arm was blasted away by a strong gust of winds. That allowed Percy the chance to escape. Both demigods bolted off as the shouts of their companions faded away.


	19. Chapter 19

Will made sure to be exceptionally quiet when he entered Nico's room with a tray filled with food. He knew it was pointless because even if the moon crashed into the earth, Nico wouldn't even budge. Once he was out, there was no easy way to wake him. Will knew it was from lack of proper sleep and power depletion, but it still made him uneasy. If something bad were to happen at camp, Nico probably wouldn't wake up. If they were being attacked, and the enemy began to overwhelm them, they would need Nico's assistance. Will pushed those ridiculous thoughts out of his mind. The war was over, they were victorious, and now they could live in peace. He believed that as he looked over at Nico.

Will thought about waking him up so he could eat, but after seeing that angelic face sleeping soundly, he decided against it. He placed the tray on the counter and went to stand next to Nico's bed. Watching Nico's chest rise and fall evenly made Will feel content. He found it irresistibly adorable when he saw Nico's mouth parted slightly as he breathed. Will sat down gently at his side. Nico slept on his side facing him. No matter how many times he watched Nico sleep, it never stopped his heart from fluttering. Will couldn't deny the fact that he felt something for Nico. He wasn't entirely sure of what that feeling was. Compassion? Respect? Everything? Whatever he wanted to label it, he knew he liked Nico. He liked him a lot. In fact, if Will's fear of this being completely one-sided didn't keep him from being totally convinced with his feelings, then he would even risk admitting that he lov—

 _WHOOSH!_

Just then, the single window in the room blasted open as a strong gust of winds swept over the entire room. Will was knocked off the bed, literally, by the sudden attack. He stood up and quickly went to shut the window. He made sure it stayed shut so nothing else would disrupt him. Then, the strangest thing happened. The room seemed to drop in temperature. It suddenly became cold. Will wrapped his arms around himself as he shivered.

 _'What the heck is going on?'_ He thought to himself.

Will checked to make sure the window didn't open by itself. It didn't. He walked across the room to check the AC, but it was shut off.

 _'That's odd.'_ Will thought. He could have sworn it was working completely fine before. He pushed random buttons, hoping it would work. Nothing happen. The room was becoming unnaturally cold. He was about to call for someone to help when he heard movement. He turned around to see Nico curling in on himself. He was shivering slightly. Will opened the bottom cabinets and pulled out some extra blankets. He rushed over and laid them gently on Nico. Percy's words from before came to his mind as he was adjusting the blankets.

 _'And make sure you check his temperature. I heard it's going to be chilly tonight.'_

Something told Will that this was no ordinary coincidence. Percy and Jason have been acting strange ever since they came to visit Nico this afternoon. There was something going on between those two, but Will couldn't figure it out. He decided he would save that for later. Right now, he needed to focus on getting Nico warmer. While he was adjusting the blankets, he felt something tug at the end of his shirt. He looked down to see Nico's hand tugging at his shirt. Will froze on the spot. It took him a second to realize that Nico was still asleep. He held onto Will's shirt and tugged at it from time to time. Will didn't know what to do. He knew he should move away or something, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Nico didn't let go of his shirt. Will stared at him while his heartbeat began to increased. He couldn't believe that such a small action could have such a profound affect on him. As Will stood there, he seemed to forget about the fact that the room was currently reaching negative temperatures. All he could think about was Nico's delicate little hand clinging on to him while he slept. Will had the sudden urged to climb into the bed, and pull Nico close to him and never let him go. Nico seemed to be reaching out to him in his sleep. Well, what's a better way to warm someone up then to snuggle? Will felt his cheeks warm up at the thought. He knew he was just being wishful, but...would it hurt to be a little wishful? Just to warm him up, right? Nothing more.

Before Will could bring himself to regret this, he gently and carefully climbed into the bed and pull the blankets over him. As soon as he got comfortable, Nico latched onto him like a lifeline. Will sucked in a breath at the sudden contact, but recovered and wrapped his arms around Nico's. He pulled him in closer to his chest, and rested his head on top of Nico. He breathed in a deep breath before evening out. Their breathing flowed with one another, and the last thing Will thought about before he drifted off into a blissful sleep was that he had never felt happier in his life.

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.

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Just outside the window to Nico's room, Percy and Jason were covering their mouths to prevent their very uncontrollable squeals from being heard. Their plan had worked out perfectly. Wreck the AC and have the winds sweep around the room so that it would force Will to cuddle up with Nico in order to keep him warm. A pretty far-fetched plan, but it worked. They would have to thank Jake Mason, former head counselor of the Hephaestus cabin, later for helping them out with this. The two boys couldn't contain their overwhelming joy over the fact that Will returned Nico's feelings. It reassured them and gave them hope. Nico wouldn't feel lonely anymore. He won't feel like an outcast. He can stop being scared and finally be happy. Truly happy. Percy and Jason wanted nothing more than to see their close friend happy. Nico was like—no is their little brother, and they will do anything to make sure he was happy. Whatever it took, even if Nico wouldn't want them to, they would still do it. If it would stop Nico's suffering, then they would gladly help out. Besides, seeing Will fall for their little Nico made their heart do somersaults of joy. The two demigods were practically dancing from where they stood. They gave each other high fives, and took one last look at the sleeping pair before heading back to their respected cabins. Their work here was done. Tomorrow begins anew.

Let Operation "Get Nico di Angelo and Will Solace to Fall in Love With Each Other" begin.


	20. Chapter 20

Will woke up to warmth like he never knew before. The sun was shinning through the window, a sign that morning had arrived. Will didn't want to get up, but knew that he had too. No matter how much he wanted to spend the entire day in bed, there was work to be done. He tried to stretch, but realized something was wrapped around his waist, preventing him from moving. He glanced down to see Nico wrapped around his waist, snuggled in as close as humanly possible, and sound asleep. Will gasped, and his faced turned red as he remembered what had happened last night. The AC stopped working, a gust of wind was blowing through the open window, making the room extremely cold. Nico had been shivering, so Will laid down next to him and fell asleep with Nico in his arms. The memory brought a smile to his face. That was the best night of Will's life. He couldn't bring himself to feel ashamed of it. He looked down at the little child of Hades, and ever so gently, brought his hand up to brush through Nico's hair. It was unruly, but soft. Like running your hand through silk. Will's smile grew more as Nico let out a soft sigh and nuzzled in more to Will's side. Nico's head was on his shoulder. Now Will definitely didn't want to move. He didn't want this moment to ever end. He laid there, letting time flow by as he felt Nico's steady breathing on his chest. Their breathing was synchronized. Everything about them was in harmony with one another. Will loved this moment. Being with Nico made him feel like he was floating on a cloud. Carefree and light. Like nothing was holding him to the earth. He was happy and alive and _free_. Nico made him feel like he could throw caution to the wind and just enjoy the moment for all it's worth.

 _'Can this moment last forever?'_ Will thought.

 _Knock. Knock._

Will tensed when he heard the knock at the door. Nico shifted in his sleep, but otherwise didn't wake up. Will cursed the heavens for being so cruel.

 _'Spoke too soon, didn't I? All I wanted was to lay here with Nico for a little bit longer. Was that so much to ask?'_ Will thought irritably. He carefully removed himself from Nico's vise grip. He untangled their limbs and made sure not to wake Nico in the process. Once he finally stood up, he stretch and yawned before heading towards the door. Will thought if he should even bother to open the door. The person probably had already left. Will opened it either way to see one of the Apollo campers standing there patiently. He smiled when he saw Will, then looked at him funny when he got a good look at the state Will was in.

"I thought you would be here, but did you sleep here overnight? You look like a mess." The Apollo healer questioned jokingly. Will sent him a halfhearted glare, and ran his fingers threw his hair to try and tame it a little.

"Yeah, I did. Was up all night finishing up my work that I fell asleep in the be- _chair_! Chair! Fell asleep on the chair." Will corrected himself. The other camper looked at him. Will tried his best at a smile, but it ended up looking goofy. The other Apollo healer just shook his head.

"Anyways, Chiron has called for a meeting at the Big House. I was told to come and tell you." The healer said. Will was surprised. It was very sudden for Chiron to call a meeting. Did something bad happen? Will doesn't remember anything usual happening last night or anything. Chiron seemed perfectly okay. Was it for some sort of activity? No, Chiron would have mentioned that at dinnertime. What could it be then?

"Okay. I'll get going." Will said. The other Apollo camper nodded and left. Will glanced back towards Nico to see him sleeping soundly. A small smile graced his lips before he turned to leave.

' _I hope this meeting doesn't take too long.'_ Will thought.

.

.

.

.

"All right, settle down everyone. Let the meeting begin!"

Chiron announced to every head counselor present. He called a meeting this morning to discuss their next course of action. The meeting took place at the Big House inside the rec. room around the ping-pong table. Not the most diplomatic or sophisticated meeting arrangement, but it works out. All of the head counselors were surprised when Chiron called this sudden meeting. He looked relaxed, but there was clearly something bugging him. All of the head counselors didn't understand why Chiron called this meeting. He said it was to discuss their next course of action, but that didn't make sense. Mainly because there _shouldn't be_ a "next course of action." The war was over. There were no more battle to be fought. So why the meeting? Percy, along with Annabeth, Piper, Leo, Jason, Will, and all of the other head counselors, were curious. They waited patiently for Chiron to begin. When he made sure he had everyone's attention, and made sure the Stoll brothers weren't trying to shove pencils up Clovis' nose, he cleared his throat and spoke.

"I'm sure you are all wondering why I called this meeting, correct?" Chiron asked. He looked around the ping-pong table to see everyone nodding. He nodded and continued.

"Many of you may or may not know this, but Cabin Thirteen has been destroyed." Chiron said.

" _WHAT?!"_ Many of the counselors, besides Percy and Jason, gasped. Clearly nobody decided to take notice of one of the Big Three's cabins being caved in and almost entirely destroyed. Percy and Jason glanced at each other as they realized they forgot to inform their friends about it. Will was especially surprised.

 _'Nico's cabin was destroyed?! How did that happen?! When did that happen?! How did I not know about this?!'_ Will internally screamed. Yet another thing Will didn't know about. He was getting annoyed about the lack of information he had about things pertaining to Nico. He glanced towards Percy and the others. They were all looking at each other. Especially Percy and Jason. Those two knew something they weren't sharing, and that was starting to piss Will off.

"When the hell did this happen?! Are we under attack or something?!" Clarisse La Rue, head counselor of the Ares cabin, asked as she pounded her fist on the table and sat straight up. The force shook the whole table, and even managed to wake Clovis from his slumber.

" _Marshmallows!_ Oh-wait? Did someone call me?" Clovis, head counselor of the Hypnos cabin, asked sleepily. Conner Stoll, head counselor of the Hermes cabin along with his brother Travis, whacked him in the head and told him to go back to sleep, which he did immediately. Clovis wouldn't stay awake either way.

"No, we are not under attack. It was merely an accident." Chiron reassured.

"Then how could this have happened?" Will found himself asking.

"I have been informed that it was Nico, himself, who destroyed his cabin. He suddenly lost control of his power, and as such, they went rampant and destroyed his cabin." Chiron explained. Everyone was shocked by the news.

"Man. I mean, I get he didn't like his cabin, but did he have to destroy it?" Travis asked, but everyone could tell he was trying to make a joke. Besides his brother, no one laughed.

"Chiron. Who told you this?" Annabeth asked. Will saw Percy squirm in his seat out of the corner of his eye.

"Jason was the one to inform me. It was on the same day when he and Percy rushed Nico to the infirmary. Percy was also there when it happened." Chiron answered. All eyes turned to the two sons of the Big Three. You could tell they were uncomfortable by all of the attention. They looked at each other, debating who would speak first. They sat in silence while the two demigods and a mental argument on who should explain everything. Will was about to snap when Jason finally spoke up, clearly losing the unspoken argument.

"Alright, yes we were there when Nico lost control of his powers and destroyed his cabin. Percy was already there when I arrived, so he knows more about what happened and what caused Nico to lose control." Jason directed everyone's attention to Percy, who sent a glare at him before sitting up straight and speaking.

"Okay, so, I was at my cabin when it started. It was early in the morning when I felt this weird, heavy power. I heard some stuff cracking, and then I heard Nico screaming. I jumped out of my bed and ran over there as fast as I could. When I got there, he was...curled on the ground, still screaming. That's when I noticed his powers were going out of control. They were lashing out at everything. They were making the floor, walls, and ceilings decay. I tried to calm him down, but that only worked for a few minutes before he started screaming again. Jason came shortly after that." He looked towards Jason. "Nico's powers were overwhelming. It was like an invisible force was weighing us down." Percy explained. Jason nodded his head. Chiron and the others listened intently. Percy continued.

"His powers were so devastating that the ceiling of the cabin began to cave in. I grabbed Nico, and we rushed outside and got away from the cabin, but Nico's powers was causing everything around us to die off. There was a moment where I felt Nico stop moving in my arms." Percy stopped to take a deep breath in. Jason continued from there.

"We noticed that Nico had blood coming out of his nose, and he wasn't responding to us. That's when we began to rush him to the infirmary. That's when I told Chiron what happened while Percy rushed to the infirmary. Everything after that...well, you know what happens. Nico's fine now, but his cabin is pretty much destroyed." Jason finished his explanation. The room was silent for a moment as everyone let the new information sink in.

"Do you know what could have caused Nico to lose control like that?" Will found himself asking. It hurt him to just hear the pain Nico went through. Losing control of his powers and destroying his whole cabin. No wonder Nico's power was seriously depleted. Still, it didn't make sense. Nico seemed fine the night before. What could have suddenly caused this?

"I think Nico was having a nightmare. I think he started thinking about his trip through...Tartarus." Percy hesitated to say. He hated saying that name. Hated bringing it up when he and Annabeth still hadn't recovered from their horrifying experience. Percy had blamed himself for what had happened to Nico. If he hadn't brought it up the night before, Nico probably wouldn't have had that nightmare. Even though he didn't mention it directly, he still implied it. Percy was sure it was a nightmare that caused Nico to lose control of his powers. That happens to him sometimes, too.

The room was silent. Nobody knew what to say. Will saw Percy glance over to Annabeth and ask her with his eyes if she was okay. She nodded and offered him a small smile. The silence was deafening. Will felt like he was going to lose his mind if someone didn't say something soon. He was already having troubling thoughts of his own. The silence wasn't exactly helping him. It seemed the other head counselors were feeling uncomfortable as well. Chiron finally had mercy on the group and broke the silence.

"That would explain why Nico was in such a critical condition. Will, how bad was Nico's power depletion?" Chiron suddenly asked, which caught Will off guard.

"P-pretty bad." Will answered. Chiron nodded thoughtfully.

"I thought so. Anyways, for now, the Hades cabin is out of commission. It will take some time to rebuild. For now, Nico will have to stay in another cabin for the time being. Until we can get his cabin rebuild." Chiron announced. Everyone agree it was the best choice for now.

 _'So this is what Chiron meant by "next course of action."'_ Will thought.

"Are you going to put him in our cabin?" Travis Stoll asked. Before they had a cabin for each god, any unclaimed kid would stay in the Hermes cabin. It would make sense for Chiron to put Nico in their cabin for the time being, though Will was hoping he wasn't.

"No. I think he should stay in either Cabin One or Three. Since Nico is a child of the Big Three, it would make sense to place him in one of the Big Three's cabins. I'm sure Percy and Jason wouldn't mind, right?" Chiron asked the two demigods. Percy and Jason looked at each other, and Will could have sworn he saw a small smile form on their faces.

"Actually, I don't want Nico in my cabin." Percy flat out stated. This shocked everyone.

"Percy!" Annabeth yelled.

"What?" Percy asked, as if what he said wasn't rude. Annabeth glared at him.

"Why don't you want Nico staying with you?" She questioned him. Percy just shrugged his shoulders.

"I just don't want to deal with all of that. I'm having enough problems of my own. I don't need to worry about him, too." Percy stated. Everyone gasped. Percy would never say something like that about his own friends. He was always the guy who would risk his life for is friends, and go above and beyond to help them out. What he was saying right now was insane. Annabeth, Piper, Leo, and Will were all fuming with anger.

"How could you say that?!" Annabeth screamed. She was seriously pissed, and Will didn't blame her. He couldn't believe Percy was acting like such a jerk all of a sudden.

"Percy! Nico is our friend! You should know what kind of pain he's going through better than anyone!" Piper yelled at him. Percy didn't even flinch. He crossed his arms over his chest, leaned back in his chair, and took everyone's dagger glares head on without batting an eye. This is when Will realized just how powerful and dangerous Percy Jackson can be.

"Don't yell at Percy, Piper. He's only saying what we're all feeling right now." This time it was Jason who spoke up. Piper looked at him shockingly.

"Jason! You too?!" Piper asked incredulously.

"Hey, man, what the heck is wrong with you? Seriously? This isn't like you." Leo spoke up. he was leaning over the table a little, with his hands clenched up on the table. None of the other head counselors wanted to intervene. They all looked pissed, but they were scared to say anything.

"Percy's right. Nico is too much of a hassle to take care of. Me and Percy almost fainted after we got Nico to the infirmary." Jason stated. Will was getting more pissed off by the second.

"Yeah, he's right. We were practically suffocating just by being _near_ him. I don't want him destroying my cabin, too." Percy added. Annabeth slammed her drakon tooth into the table and stood up.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" She screamed. The silence in the room increased, if that was even possible.

"I don't know what in the Hades is going through your thick skulls right now, but it needs to stop! Whatever it is that you two are trying to pull isn't going to work! What are you guys hiding from us, huh?! Because I _know_ neither one of you feel that way about Nico! So why are the both of you acting like a couple of jerks right now?!" Annabeth was visibly shaking form anger now. Her grip on her drakon tooth was tightening, and Will thought that any second now she was going to stab one of them if they didn't cut out their infuriating act. Neither of the two demigods spoke. Before Annabeth could say something else, Chiron cut in.

"Enough, all of you!" His voice boomed throughout the room. If the head counselors were scared before, it was no comparing to how terrified they felt right now. Annabeth glared at the two for a moment longer before sitting back down, her hand never letting go of her weapon. Chiron eyed the two sons of the Big Three sternly. It was clear he was in a bad mood.

"What has gotten into the both of you? Why are you so suddenly against Nico. He's your dear friend." Chiron questioned the two demigods. Neither one of them spoke. Will wanted to strangle them so badly right now. His hands were shaking by his sides.

 _'What in the bloody Hades is wrong with those two?!"_ Will screamed internally. How could they say such cruel and sick things like that about Nico. They practically _saved his life!_ Percy and Jason remained silent, and Will was about to scream at them before Chiron spoke up.

"Well? Care to answer?" Chiron demanded more than asked. It was a long moment before Percy finally spoke up, and what he said was not at all what Will or anyone else was expecting.

"I want Nico to stay with Will in his cabin."


	21. Chapter 21

_'I want Nico to stay with Will in his cabin.'_

The silence returned with a vengeance, and the fury was replaced with confusion and shock. Everyone was dumbfounded by Percy's sudden declaration. Will's mouth hanged so low, it touched the ground. Even Chiron was taken aback by this.

"You...what?" Chiron asked, confusion heavy in his voice.

"I _said_ ," Percy emphasized, "I want Nico to stay with Will in his cabin."

Will was completely at a loss for words. It took him several seconds to remind himself that he wasn't breathing. He took in a deep breath of air, which his lungs desperately needed. He didn't expect Percy to say that. Although, Will couldn't deny the tiny surge of happiness he felt when he heard him say that.

"Why Will's cabin. Why not yours?" Chiron questioned again.

"Like I said. I have problems of my own. I don't think it will be fair for Nico to have to worry about me while he's still recovering. We're both still recovering from our experience. Who's to say I won't be the one waking up at night, screaming? I could accidentally _drown_ him, and I don't think he'll like that very much." Percy said. "I care for Nico, but I know he'll just feel awkward if it's just the two of us."

"Why would he feel awkward?" Chiron asked again. Percy smiled slightly and shook his head.

"Can't say. It not important anyways. I just think that he'll be better off with Will than with me. We'll both just keep reminding each other of something we're both trying to forget." Percy replied sincerely. Now, when he says it like that, he doesn't sound like a big jerk. But why say that stuff from before? Something still didn't make any sense.

"And you, Jason?" Chiron directed his attention towards him.

"I agree with Percy. Since I don't completely understand what Nico is going through, I don't believe I would be able to help him our properly. I think Will is much more suited to handle this than me. He's already taking care of Nico in the infirmary. If something were to occur, he could handle it on the spot. Plus, it allows him to relax at his own cabin and not have to worry about going back to the infirmary constantly." Jason explained. Now those were some good statements the guys were making. Will's previous fury towards the two demigods was lessening. Everyone at the table seemed to consider what the boys were offering. Chiron was silent as he thought it over in his mind. After a few moments, he spoke up.

"I see what the both of you are saying, and I must say...it's a good idea. Alright, I think we should put Nico in the Apollo cabin, until his cabin is fully rebuilt. Any objections?" No one spoke up. They all thought it was a good idea. Chiron turned towards Will.

"Is that all right with you, Will?" He asked. Will smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, that's fine with me."

Will saw Percy and Jason smirk at each other.

 _'Those two...'_

"Alright, it's settled! Once Nico is fully recovered, we'll have him move into the Apollo cabin." Chiron announced before turning to face Will. "Will, make sure to keep an eye on him. We don't want him to have another deadly outburst again." Will nodded.

"I'll make sure. Nothing will happen to Nico." Will said it like an oath.

"That's all we needed to cover. So, this meeting is over." Chiron announced. Every counselor sighed with relief.

"Finally. I thought it was never going to end."

Everyone jumped a foot into the air when Dionysus suddenly spoke up from his wine chair that was situated in the corner of the room. No one knew, or even remembered, him being there when the meeting had started.

"How long have you been there?!" Percy stated incredulously. Dionysus just gave him a look of complete boredom, like he didn't have the time, or the patience, to explain anything to Percy. He rolled his eyes and went back to throwing sausages at his living leopard head, Seymour.

"I have been here since the very beginning. It's nice of you to take notice of your camp director's presence." He said with lazy sarcasm. Percy scrunched up his face in annoyance.

"I did notice Chiron's presence. I just didn't notice yours." Percy said. The sass was apparent and heavy in his voice, and you could hear everyone suck in a deep breath. Dionysus stopped throwing sausages to Seymour, which the living leopard head was unhappy about, and sent a cold, hard glare at Percy. The atmosphere became dense and heavy. It was practically suffocating. Chiron cleared his throat to try and break the unbearable silence that descended upon the room.

"Percy, that was not acceptable. Apologize to Mr. D, now." Chiron ordered. Percy looked at Chiron, but his hard glare shut up anything Percy was going to whine about. With a sigh, Percy looked back at Mr. D.

"I'm sorry, Mr. D." Percy apologized. Dionysus just shrugged and went back to feeding Seymour.

"Oh, I stopped caring. You just owe me a ship full of diet coke. Then, I'll decided whether or not I want to turn you into my next wine chair." Mr. D said nonchalantly. Percy gave him an incredulous look.

"I already _gave_ you a ship full of diet coke!" Percy shouted. Everyone gave him a strange look. Will could vaguely remember Nico telling him a story of how they needed Mr. D's support, so they sunk a ship filled with diet coke and millions of dollars with it. Though, Dionysus had no use for the money.

"No you did not."

"Yes I did."

"I don't remember."

"How could you _not_ remember?!"

"That's enough!" Chiron silenced the two. Dionysus just rolled his eyes. Percy looked even more irritated.

"That's the end of the meeting. You're all dismissed." Chiron announced. Percy and Jason were the first ones to get up and quickly make their way to the exit. The faster they got out, the faster they could go see Nico and tell him about his amazing fortune.

They couldn't wait.


	22. Chapter 22

"You _what_?!"

"We got Chiron to agree into letting you stay with Will at his cabin."

" _Are you guys insane?!"_

Nico was fuming. Percy and Jason, on the other hand, were beaming with delight. They arrived before Will did, and they barricaded the door and locked it, along with the windows, to make sure no one would intervene. They didn't tell Nico their plan about trying to get him and Will together. So far, everything was falling into place.

 _'Let's just hope it stays that way.'_ Percy thought to himself.

"Why are you so mad, Nico? You should be happy. Me and Jason had to act like complete jerks just so we could get everyone to agree that you couldn't stay with us." Percy explained. Jason nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, he's right. I felt so guilty afterwards. I think Piper is going to kill me." Jason said.

"Not before Annabeth kills me, first." Percy replied.

"I'll gladly help the both of them in accomplishing that." Nico stated dark truthfulness. Percy rolled his eyes, while Jason smiled fondly at him. Nico did his best to glare fiercely at the two powerful demigods sitting right in front of him, but he couldn't manage the intensity in it. He was barely waking up when, out of nowhere, the door to his room busts open, and in walks these two idiots. They barely gave Nico the chance to fully awake from his sleepy stupor before they jumped on his bed, and started shaking Nico. Jason had electric sparks flying off his body every once in awhile, while Percy made the glass of water by Nico's bed have mini tsunamis. He could already feel the growing headache forming as he tried his best to push the two guys away from him. After they told him what had happened at the meeting, and was decided, Nico went speechless. It took him a few moments to remind himself that his lungs desperately needed oxygen.

He was going to be staying with Will at his cabin, until his was fully rebuilt. That meant he would be sleeping in the same cabin as Will, and that Will was in charged of taking care of him. It's going to be like how he takes care of Nico at the infirmary, but this time in his cabin. Twenty four-seven. Will would be the first thing Nico sees in the morning, and the last thing he would see before going to sleep. Seeing Will wake up with bed hair, and see him snuggle up in his bed before going to sleep. Nico knows he will be constantly monitored by Will. He knows Will won't leave his side, until he was a hundred and fifteenth percent sure Nico was absolutely, positively okay. Will would go so far as to attach himself to Nico's hip, if that meant the son of Hades will be in his line of sight at all times. Nico would start to feel smothered. He would start to feel overwhelmed or uncomfortable. He hated having people constantly looking over his shoulder, and he really hated having people be near him every second of every day. He hates close being within close proximity with someone else. With _anyone_ else, really. It was one of Nico's serious pet-peeves. Will would be constantly checking his temperature, making sure he didn't do anything Underword-ly. Anywhere Nico would try to go, he would be there. Watching him. Taking care of him. Nico won't be able to get rid of the guy. He already knows that.

And for once...Nico didn't mind at all.

He was actually looking forward to it.

He didn't realize he had zoned out, until Percy cleared his throat. Nico looked back up to see the two demigods smiling at him. Nico gave them a strange look. They didn't say anything. They just kept smiling at him. Nico was starting to feel edgy.

"W-What? Why are you looking at me like that?" He questioned. It was Percy who answered first.

"Nico, who were you thinking about just now?" Percy questioned in return. Nico gave him a confused look.

"What?" Nico asked. He was getting a bad feeling about this.

"Were you thinking about Will?" Percy asked straightforwardly. Nico looked at him wide eyed.

"What? No!" Nico lied.

"You _so_ were." Percy said with a smirk. Nico was blushing furiously.

"No I wasn't!" Nico shouted. Before Percy could say anything, Jason intervened.

"Nico, you had a peaceful look on your face. You looked genuinely happy. Tell us the truth, _were_ you thinking about Will?" He asked gently with an accepting smile on his face. Percy was still smirking, so Jason smacked his shoulder and shook his head at him.

 _'Damn them.'_ Nico thought. Why did these two have to be so god damn insightful. Yes, Nico did space out for a little bit, but how did they know that he was thinking about Will.

 _'We know.'_

They know. They've always known. Since the first day they mentioned it to Nico. Nico let out an irritated sigh, and ran his fingers through his unruly hair. Even though he just woke up, he was still too tired to deal with their overly enthusiastic moods. Their happy nature terrified him. It was so contagious that Nico tried to avoid it like the plague, but he could never get too far. Besides, a little part of him liked their completely unnecessary, but overly abundant joyfulness. It made Nico feel a little less dark inside.

They were waiting for his answer. Nico didn't want to say it out loud, so he just nodded. They instantly beamed at his answer. Nico regrets telling them. They wouldn't _shut up_ about it. Their conversation was immediately silenced when someone managed to kick they door open. It blew off its hinges, and fell to the floor. The three sons of the Big Three jumped in alarm. In no time wasted, Percy and Jason were up on their feet unsheathing their swords. Percy unsheathed Riptide, while Jason raised his _gladius_. Nico looked around for his Stygian sword, but couldn't find it. Will must have placed it somewhere else. All three of them looked towards the broken down door with shock expressions, but it was well hidden under their mask of alertness and focus. Percy and Jason had locked it, and pushed two chairs up against it. Sure, it wasn't the best and most effective barricade. However, being able to knock the door off its hinges was impressive. Whoever this person was had impressive strength. But the real question was, who was it? And how did they get to Nico's room without causing a disruption.

They received their answer when they saw who it was. It was a girl who seemed to be sixteen or so. She had piercing black eyes, and glossy black hair that she wore in a single braid. She was wearing a regal purple toga decorated with gold medals over her own, what seemed to be, Imperial Gold armor. If you looked closely at her forearm, you could make out a tattoo with the letters SPQR branded on her skin, with four bar lines and an image of crossed swords and a torch. The boys immediately recognized the girl, and lowered their weapons. Jason was the first one to speak up, while stepping towards the girl.

"Reyna!"


	23. Chapter 23

Silence pierced the room as the four demigods stood in shock. Nico stared wide eyed at Reyna, while Percy and Jason recovered from their surprised states and sheathed their swords. Reyna stood boldly in front of them, chin high and her stance was nothing short of pride and perfection. She looked at Jason when he called to her.

"Reyna! When did you get here? You didn't tell me you were coming." Jason said as he looked at the broken door.

"Did you really have to do that?" He gestured with his hand as he took another step towards her. Jason and Reyna knew each other since as far back as either of them could remember. They're both Roman demigods from Camp Jupiter. Jason and Reyna were actually both Praetors of Camp Jupiter. They were really close friends. Reyna had some feelings for Jason, but those feelings were one-sided. Jason cared for Reyna as a close friend, but nothing more than that. Reyna didn't let that get to her too much, though. She carried on with her duties as Praetor, even after Jason went "missing." (AKA: Hera stealing his memories, switching his place with Percy, and sending them both to their rival camps.)

"Frank and Hazel finally returned to Camp Jupiter, so I left immediately. I came as fast as I could. Where's Nico?" She said moments before her eyes drifted from Jason's to Nico's. Their eyes locked and Nico braced himself for an oncoming tackle. He later relaxed when he realized no immediate threat was approaching. Instead, Reyna quickly picked up a chair that had fell to the ground after she brutally kicked the door down. She placed the chair next to Nico's bed and sat down. She looked up at him, and a beautiful smile graced her face. One of relief, happiness, and gentleness. Nico couldn't help but smile fondly back at her. He didn't realize just how much he missed Reyna. Nico considered her to be like an older sister to him. They really got along and bonded during their journey together. Reyna truly accepted him for who he was, and understood Nico. _Really_ understood him. They both had terrible pasts, but no matter what, they never gave up. Nico really respected and admired her. He was happy that she was here, sitting next to him. She hadn't changed a lot since the last time he saw her.

"Nico, it's nice to see you again. I'm glad you're okay. How are you feeling?" Reyna asked softly. She was never one to be taken gently or lightly, but she had her soft moments. Nico couldn't stop smiling at her. It felt strange to him that he was smiling this much. He must have _really_ missed her.

"Hey Reyna. It's nice to see you, too. I'm fine. It's just that I can never get some sleep with these idiots here." Nico tilted his head towards Percy and Jason, a smirk working its way onto his face. Percy scoffed and Jason just gave him a strange look.

"Well, excuse us for making sure you were feeling okay and weren't getting lonely. Jerk..." Percy said to Nico, lowering his voice on the last part. Nico still heard him.

"Don't worry too much about them, Nico. I'll take care of them." Reyna stated. Both boys instantly stiffened. They looked towards Reyna, who was giving them a cold, hard stare.

"I'll make sure they won't bother you anymore." She stated coldly. Percy and Jason looked at each other before high tailing out of the room. Neither one of them was going to dare challenge Reyna. Percy was the first one out of the room. Jason stopped when he got to the door and turned around.

"Take care, Nico. Nice seeing you again, Reyna. Bye!" He said quickly before leaving the room. Nico couldn't stop the small laugh that escaped his lips. Leave it to Reyna to handle the situation. They were quiet for a few moments before Reyna looked back up at Nico and spoke.

"Nico, what happened? Jason's report sounded really serious. Are you sure everything is okay?" She asked, concerned. Nico looked down towards his hands, and stayed silent for a moment. He wanted to tell her everything, but he didn't want to have to relive that moment. He knew he deserved her an explanation. When he looked back up at her, she had a reassuring smile on her face, and that was all it took to give Nico confidence. He took a deep breath, and told her everything.

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Will was back in his cabin preparing a bed for Nico. Out of all of the Apollo campers, Will was honestly surprised there was even a bed left unoccupied. Will couldn't remember at the moment who this bed belonged to, but it didn't matter. This was going to be Nico's bed for the time being. And wouldn't you know, it was bed that was right next to Will's bed. Coincidence? Completely.

Will couldn't stop the butterflies he was feeling in his stomach. He felt so giddy and happy on the inside that he thought he was going to explode. He was grateful towards Percy and Jason for convincing Chiron into letting Nico stay at the Apollo cabin while his was being rebuilt. He would have to find a way to thank them for it. Now, he'll have the chance to spend the entire day with Nico. They could laugh and joke around together, and not feel weird with each other. From morning to night, the first and last thing he will see is Nico. His unruly, constant bed hair. How he interacts with Will's other cabin mates. His otherworldly olive eyes. Everything he can and wants to see from Nico. All while being close and taking care of him. Maybe, if Will's lucky, he might finally get Nico to open up to him. Tell him about the nightmare that made him lose control of his powers and destroy his cabin. Will couldn't even imagine what kind of torture that put Nico through. When he heard Percy explain what had happened to Nico, Will wanted to cry. He felt as though someone rip out his heart, poured acid on it, then put it back in his chest. The burning, excruciatingly painful feeling was unbearable. Will didn't want Nico to have to go through something like that ever again. He wanted to be there for Nico. He wanted to be the one that wiped the tears off his face. He wanted to be the one Nico could cuddle up with at night and sleep his problems away. He wanted to be the one Nico would come to first about anything. He wanted to be the one that Nico could open up to, without fear of rejection because Will would never reject Nico. _Ever._ He didn't care what Nico was like, what he had been through, or what others thought of him. To Will, Nico was the single, most important person that has ever been in his life. Will would do anything to keep a smile on Nico's face. These next few weeks were going to be unforgettable.

Will couldn't wait.


	24. Chapter 24

Nico was discharged from the infirmary the next day and had everything set up in the Apollo cabin. All that was left to do was actually _step foot_ into the cabin. Nico hesitated. It wasn't that he didn't want to go into the cabin. It's just that he didn't feel comfortable, or brave, enough to walk in. Will was going to accompany Nico to his cabin, but he had to stay back at the infirmary because something came up. Another Ares camper got injured while trying to hide a grenade in the garden at the Demeter cabin. There planned backfired when Chiron saw them. Nico rolled his eyes at them. Ares kids weren't necessarily the brightest, but Nico would never tell that to them. Especially not to Clarisse.

Will was upset that he couldn't walk Nico to their shared cabin. He apologized, but Nico said that it was okay. Will jokingly told him not to get lost on his way there, to which Nico glared at him. Will laughed, and if Nico were to say that that laugh didn't make his stomach burst to life with a thousand butterflies, he would be lying. He always felt more loose and free whenever he heard Will laugh. Or smile. Or look at him with those heart stopping blue eyes. Or the way how his lips looked so soft when he leaned towards Nico at the infirmary-

"Nico!"

Nico jumped at the sudden voice calling his name, effectively cutting off his thoughts. When he turned to see who was calling him, he saw Reyna walking towards him. She hadn't left yet because she wanted to make sure Nico was absolutely, one hundred and fifteen percent okay. Nico smiled when she walked up to him.

"Hey." Nico said. Reyna smile at him, and it reminded him of his older sister, Bianca's smile. It made him feel peaceful inside.

"You seem fine." She observed. "Would you like to go for a walk with me?" Reyna asked politely. Nico smiled and nodded. It gave him an excuse not to go inside the cabin. It could also help distract him for awhile. Reyna turned around and started walking, and Nico followed right beside her.

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As they were walking, they saw a bunch of campers running towards the inner part of Camp-Half Blood. Reyna and Nico looked at each other in suspicion and curiosity before heading over to see what was going on. Once they got there, what they saw took their breaths away.

There, an angelic cabin stood gracefully in front of them. It was a white, pristine building with a large bay window, overlooking a small garden. There weren't any plants in the garden, which was strange. But nevertheless, it was simply divine. The cabin was reminiscent of a cottage, modestly sized and nothing too girly or flashy. It was placed more inland, farthest away from the sea. The cabin had an atmosphere of elegance and harmony. In short, it was one of the most dazzling and bewitching cabin either of the two demigods had ever seen.

They pushed their way to the front of the crowd to see Leo standing with a pair of scissors in his hand. Next to him stood Calypso, Annabeth, Percy, Jason, and Piper. Chiron and Mr. D were also present. In front of the cabin, there were two poles situated five feet away from each other with a big, pink bow tied around it. Leo handed the scissors to Calypso, and then proceeded to pull out a megaphone from his magical tool belt. He called out 'testing' to get the crowd's attention. Once he did, he proceeded.

"Ladies and Gentlemen!" He started. "Today, I would like to welcome you to my new cabin! Wait, not _mine_! I-I mean Calypso's new cabin! Which I made b-because I'm awesome like that, and...and yeah." Leo was stuttering and blushing like a fool. He was never one to be shy or nervous around a crowd, but at that moment, Leo looked like a lost puppy. He didn't know what to say. Then, he shyly turned to look at Calypso. She gave him a heartwarming smile that seemed to vanquish all of Leo's fears. Her eyes held no embarrassment. No shyness or uncertainty. She stood proudly, with her chin held high and a glimmer in her eyes. That seemed to do the trick. After receiving her silent encouragement, Leo cleared his throat and began speaking again.

"I dedicate this cabin to Calypso. When I first met her, it was when I unknowingly crash landed onto her island, Ogygia. I landed on her dinning table, effectively smashing it into tiny little pieces. To this day, I have never seen her look that pissed before. So make a note of this, never destroy a Goddess's dinning table." Leo said jokingly. The crowd burst out laughing. Leo sent a goofy smile at Calypso, who just rolled her eyes, but couldn't hide the smile that formed on her face. Leo turned back to the crowd, and began speaking again. "Anyways, I ended up being stuck at Ogygia for a while. Don't know how long, but looking back at it, I don't care how long it was. Every second spent with Calypso on her island made me realize something. For a really, _really_ long time, I thought I was alone. My mother...was killed by Gaea when I was young." The crowd gasped in utter shock. Leo swallowed down hard. He never told the camp about _that night,_ but now...he felt like he could. Everything was over now. Gaea has been defeated. Leo knows that his mom can rest in peace now. With that calming thought in mind, he took a deep breath before speaking again.

"Ever since...that night, I've been on the run. I've ran away from every foster home I've been put into, which has been seven. I never stayed at one place for too long. It helped me cope with the pain of losing my mom. So, when I found Calypso, and learned that she has been trapped on that island all her life...I felt like I could relate to her. I know what it's like to be alone, with no one being there for you and no one wanting you. Seeing people come and go, while you're stuck in this never ending cycle of loneliness. What I'm trying to say is, I found happiness in my friends, in my new home here at Camp Half-Blood...with _Calypso_." Leo turned to look at Calypso straight in the eyes. It was as if they were the only two people in the entire world standing there. Like there was a blank canvas that Leo could spill his heart and soul onto, if it meant telling Calypso how much she meant to him. Leo smiled the most beautiful, sincere, _loving_ smile he has ever shown anyone. His eyes held determination and strength. He knew he could say whatever he needed to say to Calypso, because even if the entire world was against him, he knows he will always have Calypso by his side.

"She showed me the power and courage to never give up. To keep on hoping for a better outcome. She taught me that sometimes, it's okay to let your guard down. To show a side of you that you would never show to the world. She gave me hope. She _is_ my hope. I didn't feel alone when I was with her. I felt like I could tell her everything and anything that came to mind, or that was troubling my heart. I never met someone who, could be so beautiful and caring, but also who isn't afraid to get her hands dirty once in a while. She's an amazing cook, singer, knitter, and so much more that I'm afraid I would never be able to describe about her. So...thank you Calypso. You gave me the courage to face Gaea head on. You were always there for me, whether it was in person, or in my heart. I was able to beat Gaea and survive the war because I knew that, for the first time, someone was waiting for me. Thank you for everything, and...I love you, Calypso. I love you _so much!_ You make me feel complete. I know I've kept you waiting, but I swear on the Rive Styx, I will _never_ keep you waiting again. I love you." Leo finished, tears stinging his eyes. The entire crowd was silent. Calypso stared at Leo, wide eyed. She held her breath. _Everyone_ held their breath. No one knew what to say. Leo's smile started to falter as Calypso continued to stare at him, speechless.

 _'Did I say something wrong?'_ Leo thought to himself, afraid that he might have said a little too much. He was already formulating a joke to break the thick silence that enshrouded the entire camp. Before he could say anything, Calypso ran to Leo, and practically threw herself at him. Leo barely managed to catch her. He straighten them and hugged her back fiercely. Leo could feel tears on his shoulder as Calypso spoke.

"I love you..."

Leo sucked in a breath, not sure he heard her right. After a long moment of silence, Calypso pulled back and looked Leo straight in the eye. She held on to him like he was her lifeline, and Leo did the same. He dedicated to take his shot and ask her what she said.

"W-What...did you say?" Calypso smiled so brightly, Leo's heart melted.

"I said...I love you, Leo Valdez." She said, loud enough for everyone to hear. Then, she kissed him. It was a long, passionate kiss. The entire crowd burst out in cheers and applause. Some were even wiping their tears away. Chiron and even Dionysus were clapping the loving couple. After the kiss was over, both Leo and Calypso cut the ribbon, and the celebration began. During the mist of the roaring crowd, Nico could feel something swell up inside on him. He brought his hand up to clenched at his chest. His breathing was coming in unevenly, and his head hurt. Nico doesn't understand what's going on. Reyna seemed to have notice Nico's distress and turned towards him. She placed her hand on his shoulder, which caused him to jump at the sudden contact. He quickly recovered as he turned towards her.

"Nico, what's wrong?" Reyna asked seriously. Her expression was hard and stern, but Nico could faintly make out the worry in her eyes.

"N-Nothing. I'm fine." Nico said. Reyna didn't look convince, but she removed her hand from Nico's shoulder. Nico took a deep breath and steadied himself, but he didn't remove his hand from his chest. Nico really didn't know what was wrong with him, and it was starting to freak him out. After hearing Leo confess his love for Calypso so openly caused him to feel...weird on the inside. Something he couldn't explain. Nico hated all of these unexplainable emotions and feelings he's been getting for a while now. He thought they only came up when he was with Will or thinking about him. But that wasn't the case this time. Or was it? While Nico was listening to Leo's confession, images of Will appeared in his mind. Images of the time he's seen Will here and there before they knew each other. Images after the Battle of Manhattan when he and Will congratulated each other over the victory. Nico seeing Will through a dream when he was transporting the Athena Parthenos. Fighting alongside Will during the final ends of the war. Spending three days at the infirmary with Will after the war. And every moment after that. Talking with Will, laughing with Will, smiling with Will, almost kissing Will...

"Nico!"

Nico jumped at the sudden voice, only to later relax when it was Reyna again. Now, she was seriously concerned about him.

"Nico, are you really okay?" Nico almost twitched at that annoying question again. He would have lashed out, had it not been Reyna who asked him. He took another deep breath to calm his inner soul. He didn't want anyone to make a big deal about him right now. He looked at Reyna and gave her the most reassuring smile he could muster, which sadly only amounted to a small curve of his lips. Reyna was not at all convinced, but before she could say anything, Jason came running over towards the two.

"Hey guys, come on! Don't you want to see Calypso's new cabin?" He asked, excitement overflowing in his voice. He seemed to have sensed the tense atmosphere hanging over the two demigods, but he did a good job of hiding it. Nico nodded.

"Yeah, we're coming." Nico said. Jason gave him a worried look, but quickly masked it with a smile. He smiled to Reyna before heading back towards the new cabin. After he was gone, Reyna turned back towards Nico.

"We'll talk about this later." She said, her voice leaving no room for argument. Nico could have stood there arguing all day, but Reyna was just as stubborn as he was. She wouldn't let him have his way. She reminded him so much of Bianca in that manner that it almost hurt.

" _Fine_." Nico said, giving in. A triumphed smirk formed on her face as she gestured for Nico to follow her. Nico just rolled his eyes as he followed after Reyna towards the new cabin where all of their friends were waiting.


	25. Chapter 25

The celebration of Calypso's cabin carried on throughout the entire night. Leo and Annabeth, along with the Athena and Hephaestus campers, were given many praises for the construction of the majestic cabin. It showed that when the smartest cabin teamed up with the best architects, anything can be possible. Calypso was beyond overwhelmed with her new home. Percy was smiling so hard, it hurt. He truly appreciated the dedication and commitment Leo put into building this new home for Calypso. Percy made sure to help in any way he possible could. It was his idea to place her new cabin more inward, away from the sea, because he knew she had been gazing at the sea her entire life. It was also his idea to help plant Moonlace in Calypso's garden. Moonlace could only be planted at night, and they only grew at night. It felt great working side by side with her, and not having that feeling of guilt threatening to overwhelm him. He knows that Calypso forgave him, but he still couldn't help but blame himself for the pain and sadness he caused her. Now, he didn't feel that way anymore. After hearing Leo's tear-jerking love speech, Percy knew Calypso had finally found her real home, and is now happy. He was glad when Chiron and Mr. D allowed for the party to continue throughout the night. Song and laughter filled the air, and everyone danced the night away. It was another night no one would ever forget.

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Will laughed.

And laughed some more.

Then he fell to the ground because he was laughing so hard.

Nico glared at him as Will continued to laugh his heart out. He was seriously on the floor, clenching his sides, with tears brimming at the edges of his eyes, laughing. Nico was a second away from stomping on his head. They found each other somewhere among the chaotic mess that was the celebration party. They talked and joked and laughed. Now, they were sitting by their friends and other campers, watching the campfire burn a shimmering gold as it reached up high into the sky. Nico couldn't even remember what he said or what had happened that caused Will to double over in sheer laughter. It was embarrassing, but no one seemed to care. No one even seemed to acknowledge the fact that Will was probably suffocating from lack of oxygen reaching his lungs. He surely didn't seem to care, himself. Will really wasn't stopping his insane fit of laughter. Nico was starting to get worried.

"Will, knock it off! Stop laughing. You look like an idiot." Nico berated. Will's laughter didn't seem to be calming down anytime soon, and Nico was extremely tempted to kick him.

"For the love of _Hades_ , Will! Shut up!" Nico practically yelled. Will's laughter was quieting down, but not fast enough for Nico's liking.

Nico kicked him.

Will yelled, more in shock then in pain. He sat up and glared at Nico, a challenging smirk forming on his face.

"Did I say you could kick me, deathboy?" Will asked, his smirk never faltering.

"Did I ask for an invitation?" Nico shot back, sarcastically. Will laughed and stood up. He dusted himself off before sitting back down besides Nico. They sat in comfortable silence for a while, until Nico remembered something. He turned towards Will.

"Did you just call me deathboy?" He all but demanded. Will looked back at him with a confused looked. The question came out from seemingly nowhere, but a small smile gradually found its way onto Will's face.

"Yeah, I did. What about it?" Will questioned. Nico narrowed his eyes. He could hear the underlining challenge that was laced in Will's voice.

"I told you not to call me that." Nico said sternly. Will's smile never left his face.

"Well, you _are_ the son of Hades. You practically are a _boy of death._ Besides, I like that nickname." Will admitted, honestly. Nico glared at him, but he would never voice the fact that what Will said made his insides twist with a strange sensation. Another damn feeling Nico couldn't put a name to.

"Well, I don't." Nico said, a little harsh. Will didn't seem to be put off by Nico's harsh tone, but after some time, Will sighed in defeat.

"Fine. No more deathboy." Will said. Nico smirked at his little victory.

"Good." He replied. After that, both boys sat in silence. They went back to gazing at the stars.

The night was simply beautiful. With the stars shinning brightly, and a gentle wind caressed the sky. Nico looked up to gaze up at the stars. Will did the same. Even though the smoke from the campfire clouded up the sky, they could still see the stars perfectly. The two demigods marveled at the breathtaking constellations. Nico tensed a little when he saw Orion's constellation. Will looked at him with confusion, but Nico ignored him. Before, Nico didn't mind the Orion constellation. He actually thought Orion was a pretty heroic figure. Now, after his multiple near-death encounters he had with Orion, he wasn't too thrilled about the guy anymore. Orion was resurrected by Gaea to hunt him, Reyna, and Coach Hedge down, so that he could prevent the Athena Parthenos from reaching Camp Half-Blood. He had a pack of wolves with him, and Nico still had his claw marks that scar his shoulders. He quickly looked away to another constellation. Orion's brought back bad memories that he didn't want to be thinking about. He couldn't find one in particular until his eyes landed on a certain one. It was a constellation of a girl with a bow and arrow. It took him a second to realize who's constellation that was.

It was Zoe Nightshade.

The Hunter of the Night. Nico wasn't there when Zoe died, but he heard about it from Percy and the gang. She was the previous second-in-command for Artemis, Goddess of the Moon and the Hunt, and her Hunters. She was killed by her father, Atlas, and Artemis transformed her into a constellation. She was a courageous, headstrong leader. Thalia took her place and she had died. Nico smiled up at her beautiful form. For some reason, looking up at Zoe Nightshade's constellation made him think about Bob the Titan. The one who Nico told to help out Percy and Annabeth when they were stuck in Tartarus. The one who sacrificed himself for them...

"Hey, Nico."

Nico snapped out of his thoughts and turned towards Will. He was looking at him with a concerned expression. Nico realized he had probably been making a sad face or something because he could see the worry in Will's eyes. Which he had to admit were some of the most gorgeous eyes he has probably ever seen. I mean, his eyes are pretty much the same as Jason's, but there was something more in Will's eyes that Nico couldn't find in Jason's. The way the campfire reflected in his eyes made Nico's heart skip a beat. There were just no words to describe the feeling he got when he stared into those mesmerizing gems. Nico didn't realize he was staring until Will spoke up, effectively waking him up from his dazed state.

"Nico, are you feeling okay? You look kinda pale." Will asked, concern heavy in his voice. Nico's stare turned into a glare. He bit back a sarcastic reply as he reminded himself that Will didn't know about his insufferable annoyance and hatred of that infuriating question. What Nico didn't know was why he _wasn't_ lashing out towards Will for asking that pathetic question. If it were Jason or any of his other friends, he might have. Well, expect for maybe Hazel and Reyna, or even Piper and Annabeth. He probably would have stopped himself from lashing out towards Frank because of his innocent face, and it would depend with Leo. So, basically, only Percy and Jason would be at the receiving end of his violent sarcasm. Nico didn't know whether to laugh or cry when he thought about those two idiots. Nico let out a big huff before speaking.

"I'm fine. I'm just a little tired." Nico semi-lied. He didn't feel _too_ tired, but he can guarantee that if he were to lie down in his bed, he would knock out instantly. Will didn't seem all too convinced with his answer, but luckily for Nico, he didn't push it.

"Do you want to head back to the cabin now?" Will asked. Nico shook his head.

"No, it's okay. I'm not _that_ tired." Will didn't seem to be having any of that. He stood up and held out his hand towards Nico. He stared at it as if it would catch on fire or something. He looked at Will, then at his hand, then back at Will.

"What are you doing?" Nico questioned, as if it wasn't obvious enough. Will rolled his eyes.

"I'm helping you up. Isn't that obvious?" Will questioned back, his voice had a twinge of sarcasm which didn't go unnoticed by Nico. He refused to accept the extended hand.

"I know what you're doing, idiot. I'm asking _why_ are you doing it?" Nico harshly asked again. Now, it was Will's turn to start getting annoyed.

"Just shut up and accept my offer, di Angelo." Will said with finality. There was no room in his voice for argument. Nico glared at him coldly, but eventually accepted his outstretched hand. The moment their hands touched, a jolt shot through Nico's entire body. It was as if a golden arrow had just pierced through his heart, but there was no pain. It was nothing like Nico had ever felt before. It was something Nico couldn't even _explain_. It felt like as though Will's one touch had vanquished all of his inner darkness, and resurrected his dead soul. Like a ray of heavenly light bursting through a little crack in a dark, prison cell, illuminating it. Nico could physically feel the warmth, kindness, and acceptance in Will's hand. It lit up the darkness that threatened to engulf him. Nico tightened his grip on Will's hand, afraid that if he let it go, he would lose him. Nico couldn't explain this sensation that arose when their hands connected. It was unnatural, in the most pleasant way imaginable. It was...it was...

"Nico, you okay?"

Nico jumped at Will's voice, which caused him to let go of his hand. He stared back up at Will, who was looking at him with a concerned expression. Nico shook his head and cursed at himself. He let himself get carried away by his thoughts again. His heart was beating erratically, and his hand was shaking slightly. He took a deep breath, calming his nerves, before chancing a glance back up at Will. He was still standing there with a worried expression, but he had retracted his hand. Nico tried to give him a smile, but it wasn't really convincing.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine." Nico said, cursing his own stuttering. Before he let Will speak, he lifted his hand up again. Will looked at it with confusion, but accepted it. Nico didn't let himself think about the spark that jolted when their hands touched again. Will helped him up, and Nico dusted himself off.

"Nico-"

"I'm fine, Will." Nico cut him off. "I'm just tired." Nico ran a hand through his hair as he got the last of his breathing under control. Will was still giving him a concerned look, but he ignored it. He just wanted to crawl under his covers and go to sleep.

"Okay. Let's go." Will said in defeat. They said goodnight to their friends, and headed back towards the Apollo cabin.

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Nico was starting to miss his cabin. It's not like he didn't like Will's cabin. It's just that it was so full of...things and people. Two combinations Nico never really enjoyed before. He preferred solitude, a place where there were few or no people. However, ever since the war with Gaea, that has changed. Nico started enjoying other people's company. He hates being alone. Especially now since he knows that he doesn't have to be alone anymore. He enjoys warmth and light because he has always felt cold and dark. Will's cabin was so full of life and warmth, that it made Nico feel peaceful and calm. And that scared Nico. He was becoming _too_ comfortable with this cabin, and he hasn't been in here for more than ten minutes. And as if his heart wasn't already acting up on him, he was pretty sure seeing his new bed situated right next to Will's bed made his frantic heart either burst from the sheer excitement that swelled up inside of him, or stop completely from fear. Nico couldn't decide. He hesitated by the door, which did not go unnoticed by Will.

"Oh, come on. Nothing's going to happen. I'm not going to bite you or anything." Will said teasingly. Nico rolled his eyes, but remained where he stood. Something felt odd to him, and he didn't like it one bit. He couldn't put a finger on it, though. Will gave him a confused look.

"Nico, what's wrong?" Will asked.

"I don't know. Something just feels a little...off." Nico decided to be truthful. Will's confusion didn't lessen. In fact, it may have intensified.

"Off? What do you mean." Will questioned again. Nico rolled his eyes, which felt like the hundredth time tonight.

"If I knew what it was, would I be telling you?" He replied a little harshly. Will wasn't fazed by it.

"Well, nothing's wrong here. I swear on the River Styx that my cabin isn't haunted or anything. Though, I'm sure you already knew that." Will said with a playful smirk on his face. Yep, Nico's heart definitely stopped when he saw that.

"Whatever." Nico said as he walked into the cabin. He walked over towards his bed. He inspected it, and it seemed fine. Nothing out of the ordinary. Then, he saw something black leaning against his bed.

It was his sword.

Nico quickly snatched it, and held onto it fiercely. He hadn't held his sword since before the incident. He didn't even realize how long it had been. It suddenly felt like too long ago. The pure, ebony blade radiated in his hands. The power of death and darkness was overwhelming, but Nico didn't feel scared. He felt calm. Relaxed and at peace with himself. His sword was his power. He controlled it. That only brought a wave of reassurrment that flooded all throughout Nico's body. Will looked on with a smile on his face.

"I thought it would be a good idea to put your sword next to your bed. I didn't know you missed it that much." Nico looked up at him.

"I don't remember giving you permission to take it away from me." He said coldly. Really, Nico doesn't like when people touch his sword. When he was captured by the two twin Giants, Ephialtes and Otis, and stuffed into a bronze jar, he had his sword stolen and used as a trap to lure Leo, Hazel, and Frank into a trap. That was immediately after they defeated and captured him in Tartarus. He had never felt so helpless before. Since then, he's never let his sword out of his sight.

"Hey, you didn't need your sword with you when you were at the infirmary. Safety hazard." Will said, defensively. "Besides, knowing you, you would have tried anything to get out of that infirmary. I didn't need you summoning a legion of the undead during your stay."

"I can do that even without my sword, Solace." Nico bit back. Again, Will wasn't even fazed.

"Yes, I'm sure you can. Now, put your sword down, and go to sleep, di Angelo. You need rest, and I'm not going to hear another word out of you." Will said, authoritatively.

"Yes, _mom_." Nico replied sarcastically. He placed his blade beside his bed, and climbed under the sheets. Will switched his lamp off and climbed into his bed. Nico knew that, as soon as his head hit the pillow, he would knock out, but not before hearing Will's goodnight.

"Goodnight, deathboy."

Nico thought he would have the best sleep of his life that night.

He didn't realize how wrong he would be.


	26. Chapter 26

_Blood._

 _That's the first thing Nico saw when he opened his eyes. Blood on the ground. Blood on the walls around him._ Everywhere _. Every inch of space surrounding him was drenched with the scarlet liquid. The rancid smell of corpses invaded his nostrils, and burned like acid in his lungs. Nico couldn't see anything in front on him. Not even his own hand as he waved it around in front of his face._ _It was dark. Cold. There was no light to be seen for miles and miles. It was as if light was not permitted to enter this rayless abyss. No light meant no hope. No chance of survival or escape. This was to be his eternal damnation._ _The ground beneath him came to life. It began crawling up his legs, wrapping around his ankles and dragging him down. Nico fought it. He tried to move or run, but he was tied down. Nico frantically searched for his sword, but could not find it. Fear and panic began swelling up inside of him. His body began trembling. His breathing became uneven and erratic. His heart was beating a mile a minute. The thick darkness that surrounded him seemed to be coming closer to him. It was suffocating him. The putrefying stench of blood grew in intensity. Nico's nose burned from the foul odor. Like someone had poured bleach down his nose. Nico covered his mouth and nose with his hands, but it didn't help. Nothing could stop the overwhelming stench from assaulting his senses. To make matters even worse, his skin was beginning to dry up and crack from the boiling atmosphere. Nico hadn't noticed, or even payed attention to it, at first. But now, he noticed and felt every crack and peel of his skin. The sudden dryness of his throat. He squeezed his eyes shut, but that did nothing to stop the darkness from creeping up on him. No matter if his eyes were open or shut, the shadowy darkness would coil around him. Nico could not hope to escape it. It would always be there. Waiting. Watching Nico tremble with abject terror. The darkness mocked him. The shadows toyed with him. A child of Hades, afraid of the dark. How pathetic. It was truly pathetic. Nico hated himself, but there was nothing he could do. It was absolute torture._

 _Then, a miserable cry echoed throughout the area._

 _Nico froze. The hairs on the back of his neck stood straight up. A chill ran down his spine as his heart beat suddenly stopped, then started back up again. In front of him, a purplish, smoky figure manifested in front of him. The darkness that surrounded Nico began to clear up in front of him. When he was finally able to see who it was, his heart stopped. Literally._

 _It was Akhlys. The Goddess of Misery._

 _Nico was so terrified, he wasn't even shaking. He was frozen. Not a single muscle was moving. His heart was not beating. He was not breathing. The ground continued to eat up his legs, already at his knees. He couldn't do anything except stare at the Protogenos of misery and poison, herself,_ _Akhlys. Nico feared this woman more than anything else in the world. Just the sight of her made Nico's stomach drop. He clenched his chest when his heart refused to pump oxygen and blood throughout his body. His chest started to constrict. Nico curled in on himself in immense pain. Panic swelling and overflowing inside of him. There was nothing he could do except to stare at his worst nightmare. Akhlys' blood-shot, sunken eyes bore into the depths of Nico's soul, searching for any signs of misery, pain, and suffering. And by the way her cracked, bleeding lips curved up into a grief-stricken smile, it seemed she had found plenty to satisfy her._

 _Akhyls looked like a victim of famine. Her emancipated body was covered in her Death Mist. It shrouded her entire frame, and seeped out towards Nico. Her bleeding nose, and bloody crimson clawed cheeks dripped with blood onto her tattered dress. Her stringy, gray hair was matted. Her teeth were chattering with her constant weeping, and her swollen knees shook. They were weak and unable to keep her form standing upright. Her long nails clawed at her already bloody cheeks. That action made Akhlys look like the over-dramatic, yet the insanely more creepier version of The Scream's mother. Nico would have slightly chuckled at the little humorous thought, but there wasn't enough air in his laughs to laugh. Correction, there was_ no _air in his lungs to laugh. He was already waist deep into the ground when Akhlys finally began to speak._

 _"My, if it isn't the son of Hades. It has been awhile, hasn't it?" Her dejected voice echoed throughout the silent abyss. Another chill racked his body. He still couldn't manage to suck in a single breath. His heart remained still. Yet, he was still standing. He was still alive. He could still hear, feel, smell, and see. But he couldn't breath. Nico felt no life within himself, or in the area around him. Nico desperately tried to free himself from the sentient ground that threatened to engulf him, but to no avail._

 _'What the hell is going on?!' Nico screamed in his mind._

 _Akhyls laughed at seeing Nico struggle with himself. "You must be wondering why you're still alive, correct?" Nico stilled at Akhyls' question. He didn't look up at her. He kept his eyes glued to his own body, or what was left visible of his body. The majority of it had already sunk into the fleshy earth beneath him._

 _"You heart has stopped beating. You have stopped breathing. Yet, you are still standing. Conscious and aware. How is that possible?" Akhlys asked. Nico knew it was a rhetorical question. Akhlys knew the answer. She was just messing with him, and that infuriated and frightened him at the same time. She seemed more...boisterous then usual. Or more so since the last time he saw her._

 _"I have all of the answers you are seeking. But I can't tell you, unless you look at me." She tempted Nico. Her bone chilling, gut wrenching voice made Nico physically sick. Or maybe it was the fact that this area or room he was in smelled like a freshly dug up graveyard. Or maybe it was because of the living ground that was eating him up. Either way, Nico could not take it._

 _"Don't you want to know why you've become a living corpse? A fitting description for a child of Hades, don't you think?" She questioned again. Nico's chest constricted tighter after hearing that._

 _A living corpse._

 _Children of Hades were always made fun of as being vampires, or ghosts. But living corpse...that fitted the image perfectly. Nico was a child out of his time. He interacted more with the dead, than he did with the living. He was hollow, cold, and alone. Tartarus made sure to perfect that. His soul was shattered. His mind was deranged. Nico always had this sense of never belonging. People feared him. Looked down upon him. Or they never looked at him at all. They would look passed him. Like he wan't even there. Invisible. Like a ghost. Even his half-sister, Hazel, was a girl out of her time. She had already died, but Nico brought her back to life. She was practically a living corpse, as well. Even though they had a beating heart, and a conscious mind, people still feared them. That's just the given norm for children of Hades. Nico could never find the right words to describe himself. Now, Akhyls gave him the perfect description of what he actually was._

 _"Come, son of Hades. Look at me with your sorrowful eyes. You are so full of misery. So full of hate, and demise that there is nothing more I can do with you. You are a perfect sufferer. It makes me proud." Akhyls all but purred, melancholic happiness heavy in her voice. Nico was sure he was going to throw up then._

 _"Look at me, son of Hades. If you think you are in a horrible situation, you are wrong. You haven't seen nothing yet. I can make your worst fear come to life. Come, let me see just how much misery and suffering you have in you." Akhyls called out. Like Nico would fall for it. He didn't doubt Akhyls' words, but he couldn't think of anything she could do to make the situation worse. He was already mid-waist deep into the ground, his body colder than ever, and his head was killing him. The rancid odor was making his head spin. Like someone had whacked him in the back of the head with a sledgehammer. He had gotten use to not breathing, and his heart not beating. Just like how a corpse would._

 _"If you don't believe me, look and see. I'm sure I can surprise you." The temptation was gnawing at Nico. For some damn reason, his head would move to look up at her. His eyes wanted to see what she was going to show him. His mind wanting to find out what she was planning. His curiosity be dammed! He wasn't going to look. Nothing she says or does will make him look._

 _"You are quite the stubborn one, Nico di Angelo." Another chill racked his body as she said his name. It still wasn't enough to make him look, though._

 _"Look at me,_ deathboy _."_

 _Nico froze. His body became stiff, like a statue. Akhyls' voice changed, suddenly. It became more masculine. It sounded like a voice Nico knew all to well. A voice Nico could never get tired of hearing. A voice he loved. What made it worse, was the nickname that voiced spoke. It was the nickname a certain person gave to Nico. Nobody else called Nico that...except..._

 _Nico dared himself to look up at her._

 _He instantly regretted it._

 _Where Akhyls should have been stood the one person Nico never wanted to see in a place like this. Akhyls' body remained the same. It was her face that had changed. It had morphed into a boyish face. A face Nico would die a million times over to see. But this wasn't that face. Not in the same condition, at least. This face was pale, unbelievable so. One eye was hanging out of it's socket. Skin rotting and decaying, to the point you could see bone. Lips scorched and burned off. Blood and dirt matted in disheveled blonde hair. Blood dripping out of it's nose, and gushing out of the eye that was dangling out of it's socket. The one eye that remained intact had a faded blue color to it. There was no light in it. No warmth or acceptance. The two things that kept Nico bounded to this earth. The two things he desperately relied on. The two things he foolishly fell in love with. That blank, cold eye stared back at him. And this time, there was no life in it._

 _'No...' Nico thought, tears forming in his eyes. 'Not him...'_

 _Anyone but_ him _._

 _The face stared back at Nico. It's mouth opened up, and a shrieking cry erupted out of it. Nico covered his ears. He did not want to hear that cry because he never wanted to hear_ that voice _scream out like that. Akhyls was right. This was his worst nightmare. He couldn't take this. A voice invaded his mind._

 _"Look at me, Nico." It said, in_ his _voice.  
_

 _Nico looked back up at the decaying face of Will Solace._

Nico woke up with a scream


	27. Chapter 27

Will was awake before Nico screamed.

He woke up when he heard Nico muttering something in his sleep. He pushed himself up on one elbow to see what was going on. He noticed Nico started curling in on himself. He was trembling slightly, and clenching the sheets tightly. None of the other campers seemed to have noticed. Will made to get up, and go over to where Nico was sleeping. That's when it happened.

Nico's body erupted into an explosion of black, shadowy aura. The force was so strong that it knocked Will from his bed. He hit the floor with an echoing _thunk_. The commotion woke up everyone. Nico's blood-curtailing scream could be heard from miles away. Will was too busy rushing to Nico's side to even pay attention to who was doing what. Someone had the right idea to turn the lights on. Once the lights came on, thought, he saw the state Nico was in. What Will saw made him wish that the lights had remained off.

Nico was deathly pale and sweating like someone had poured a gallon of water on him. His breathing was uneven and erratic. He remained curled up under his sheets, trembling like he had just be electrocuted by Zeus' lighting bolt. Will feared he might be having a seizure or something. He went to go place his hand gently on Nico's arm when another round of dark energy erupted from him. It's powerful force threw Will back against the wall. His head pounded against the wood. He heard a slight ringing in his ears. Every camper in the room screamed as they were also assaulted by the deathly aura.

"EVERYONE, GET OUT!" Will screamed to all of his other campers. They didn't need to be told twice. Every camper bolted out of the cabin at incredible speeds, as if their lives _weren't_ in danger or anything. Will got back up on shaky legs. That sudden outburst really packed a punch. Once Will was able to stop the dark spots from dancing in front of his eyes, he realized the state his cabin was in. Windows were broken, dressers were knocked down, lamps and other accessories were scattered on the floor. The sheer force behind the assault was even enough to push Will's bed slightly away from Nico's. Speaking of Nico...

He was curled up into the tiniest ball Will had ever seen him curl up into. His hands were fisted into his hair, and Will could see that his breathing was erratic. Will wanted to go over to him. To make sure he was okay. To calm him down. But he couldn't. He couldn't move his legs. They felt heavy. Like they were made out of lead. It was as if the ground had stationed him there in that one spot, or that gravity simply did not want him to reach Nico. His own heartbeat was pounding fiercely in his chest. Panic was swelling up inside of him, but he pushed it down. This was no time to be scared. He _had_ to calm Nico down. Get him under control, until sombody came to his aid. But as he watched Nico's suffering form wither in his sheets, the fear of not being able to control his out-of-control power came into his mind. If Percy and Jason _together_ couldn't calm Nico down, how could he?

 _'No!'_ Will thought. _'I_ will _calm Nico down! I can do this!'_

Will forced his legs to make their way to where Nico remained curled up into a little ball on his bed. He was still trembling, and he was clenching the sheets so hard that his knuckles were turning white. Well, more white than he already is, which was _really_ saying something. None of it being good in Will's mind. He inched his way cautiously towards the son of Hades.

"Nico...?" Will asked, hesitantly. He tried to keep his voice as calm and as soothing as he possibly could at this point. He could feel his cabin shaking from the tremendous force that was Nico's uncontrollable powers. He could see the damage it was causing to, not only the cabin, but to Nico himself. His body was becoming paler by the second. His breathing wasn't showing any signs of calming down, and if Will stared intensely enough, he could swear to every God there was that Nico's body was beginning to fade. Like to the point where Will could see _through_ Nico. That made Will even more terrified. Images of Nico inside of the emergency room at the infirmary appeared in his mind. The sight of Nico...covered in bandages...IVs, machines, and other wires and tubes sticking in and out of him...blood running down his nose...seeing his heartbeat slowing down on the monitor screen...his body fading from existence...thinking he was watching Nico die and that there was nothing he could do...

Nico's next earth-shattering scream ripped Will out of his fear-induced thoughts. Another wave of energy lashed out throughout the entire cabin, smashing into Will. He lost his balance and fell to the ground. Nico's bed broke under the pressure, and he tumbled to the ground. His sword _clanked_ to the ground a few feet away from him. Will sat back up, his head spinning. Blood was pounding in his ears as he tried to focus on Nico. The small child was curled up on the floor of the cabin. His shaking was clearly visible, and it broke Will's heart seeing Nico like this. Hearing about Nico losing control was one thing. Actually experiencing it first hand was a completely different story. Will gasped as the floor began to decay. The light wood turned dark. Splinters and cracks appearing along the surface. It wasn't just the floor that was decaying, Will noticed his entire cabin was rotting away. Wave after wave of torturous, deathly aura emanated from Nico and lashed out at everything. Will was caught in the crossfire of feeling hopeless and devastated, to feeling fear and anguish rise up inside of him. Every bad memory Will had in his life came alive and surfaced to the forefront of his mind. His body started trembling. His breathing became labored. His skin paled. He broke out in a cold sweat as the feelings of relentless agony, unfathomable misery, and overwhelming fear consumed him. It swallowed up every bit of him, and dragged him down into a seemingly never-ending black hole of darkness. His chest constricted as breathing became an almost impossible task. He felt the floor he sat on begin to sink in, creating a small crater. Will tried to fight it. He tried to free himself from the shadowy darkness that threatened to overtake him. It wanted nothing more than to make Will suffer. To make him scream his heart out in unbearable pain. To make him beg, _plead_ for his eternal suffering to end. Will couldn't take it anymore. These feelings of unimaginable sadness, like Will had lost all hope and meaning to continue on living, was too much for him to bear. How can anyone handle all of this misery and suffering? Will felt like his heart would shatter under the tremendous weight of these painful emotions and thoughts. Negative thoughts flooded through Will's mind. There was no hope in this world. No happiness. No light. Nothing, but eternal agony. This world was his damnation, and Will wanted to rid himself of it. He fisted his hair, wanting all of this torment to stop.

 _'Please!'_ Will pleaded. _'Make it stop...'_

 _._

 _._

 _"Will!"_

 _"Will, get up!"_

 _"WILL!"_

Will's head shot up at the familiar sound. He looked around his cabin, but no one was there. He looked towards Nico, who was still curled up on the floor. But he wasn't moving. Fear shot through Will. He made to get up, but his legs buckled underneath him. He fell to the ground, cursing himself.

 _"Hey now, I don't want you using that kind of language, young man. I thought you knew better."_

It was that familiar voice again. Will knew this voice. He _knew_ it! But for some reason, he couldn't put a name to it. Like his heart remembered this voice, but his mind didn't. Another wave of fear and panic washed over him. Was he hallucinating now? Was he losing his mind?

 _"You're fine, Will. Relax. It's all right. I'm here with you."_ The light, soothing voice rang.

Suddenly, Will didn't feel afraid anymore. His heart beat was returning to normal, and his trembling came to an end. It was as if all of his misery and burdens had been lifted off of his shoulders. He felt light, like a feather. A warm tingling filled him up inside. Instead of fear, hope flooded through his mind. It calmed the agonizing storm that was raging through inside of him. Like a beautiful rainbow that appears after a terrible rainstorm. Will felt so at ease with himself. He was able to breathe normally again. He took a deep breath, and filled his lungs with much needed oxygen. That did wonders to his tense muscles. Every joint and muscle relaxed, almost to the point where his body went limp from the calmness and relaxation.

 _"That's it. Now, get up."_ The heavenly voice said, again.

Will complied. He found it much easier to rise to his feet. When he looked around his cabin, everything appeared to be frozen. Like time had come to a standstill. The floor stopped decaying. Objects that were falling to the ground froze in mid-air. Will's expression was a mixture of confusion and awed.

 _"Awesome, right? I don't mean to brag and all, but this was done by your's truly."_ The light voice replied with a hint of overconfidence. Will looked around the room, but still could not find who the voice belonged to.

"Who are you?" Will asked to the empty cabin. An almost disappointed whine echoed throughout the room.

 _"What?! You mean you don't know who I am?! That breaks my heart! I thought, for sure, that my own son would recognize my voice."_

Will froze. His heart skipped a beat.

 _'...my own son...'_

Could it be...

 _"Look behind of you, Will."_

Will looked behind him.

His mouth dropped to the floor.

There, standing in front of him, was his father Apollo. Will couldn't believe it. He had never seen his father in person. Not once in his entire life. He couldn't comprehend the fact that the God of the Sun, light, healing, music, poetry, archery, reason, and prophecy was standing right in front of him. Inside his cabin...wait, _Apollo's_ cabin. Will took a good, hard look at his dad. Though, that was proving difficult because he radiant like a living sun. Oh, wait...

Will had to admit that his dad was extremely handsome, no matter how weird that sounded to him. He was tall, muscular, and bronzed as a Baywatch lifeguard. His tan was so perfect that it made Will jealous. He had curly blonde hair, and eyes that shone like the sun. His radiance was enhanced by the Greek golden robe he was wearing, with a breathtaking golden bow and a quiver of magical arrows over his shoulders. He didn't look to be older than nineteen or even in his early 20's, which weirded Will out a little. He didn't think his dad looked old or anything. But he didn't think he looked that young either. All in all, Apollo was simply divine. There was no other way Will could describe him.

"You know...you can stop staring at me like that. It's kinda freaking me out." Apollo answered in a voice that was no short of musical perfection. Will quickly composed himself. He tried to look at the ground, the walls, _anything_ but Apollo's blinding radiance. His golden aura lit up the entire cabin. Will was surprised no one was coming to investigate. He glanced at his father every now and then, but every time he thought he found the courage to speak up, his voice fails him. He as too dumbfounded, his thoughts were scattered in his brain. He had always dreamed about what it would be like to finally meet his dad. What he would do or say to him when he did. But now, his mind blanked on him. He didn't have the slightest clue on what to do or say. Will was completely lost.

"Fine! If you're not going to say anything, then I'll start." Apollo broke the silence. He sighed and ruffled up his flawless hair, which didn't mess it up in the slightest, and offered Will a smile smile. The feeling of serenity Will got from it was amazing.

"Alright, so..." Apollo paused. He raised a hand to run through his blonde hair as he thought about what he was going to say next. After he seemed to have an idea of what to say, he looked back at Will and began speaking.

"I know there's probably a _lot_ you want to know from me and all, but I don't have the time to explain to you everything. I came because you called for me, and I couldn't stand to watch my son suffer such a horrific...torture?" Apollo asked, as if he wasn't sure what to call they unfathomable agony Will had experienced literally two seconds ago.

"But anyways," Apollo continued. "I used my powers to stop time for a little bit. Don't tell Zeus this, or he'll blow me off the face of Olympus." Apollo pointed a stern finger at Will's direction. Will nodded a little hurriedly. That brought a smile to Apollo's face.

"Good. Now, I know what's been happening Will." Apollo's face shifted into one of the most serious expressions Will has ever seen anyone display. He swallowed down hard as Apollo continued.

"I know you have feelings for that little son of Hades" Apollo said, but before Will could try to deny it, he raised one Godly finger and silenced him. "Don't try to deny it, young man. I have seen those googly-eyes you send his direction. My word, the damn tension between you too is _unbearable_! Do you know how painful it is to watch the both of you make a fool out of yourselves? If I were you, I would have already gotten into his pants by now. Not that I'm into children of Hades or anything!" Apollo rants, throwing his arms up in a comedic fashion. He didn't notice the sudden paleness and stillness of Will. Only after not receiving a response from his son does he realize how mortified Will looks. His eyes are wide like Hera's head, and his whole body is stiff like a statue. His face was flushed a bright crimson red. He doesn't seem to be breathing either.

"Ummm...Will?" Apollo asked, greatly concerned. "...Son?"

When Will made no sign of recovering, Apollo let out a sharp, ultrasonic whistle-like sound that shattered the remaining windows in the cabin. It's screeching ring snapped Will back to reality. He clutched his ears in confusion and in pain. Apollo shattered more than just the windows. A wooden chair that was knock over also fell victim to that horrendous screeching. It burst into a massive explosion of wood and splinters.

Once Will got his bearing together, he feels as though his eardrums have also been shattered. This was proven false as Apollo began to speak again, and Will could hear him perfectly fine.

"There, are you okay now? Not going to all statue-mode on me again? What did I even say to make you freeze up on me like that? You know it's rude to stop listening when your father is trying to give to an important lecture. Have you learned nothing, child?" Apollo ranted/scolded. Will shook his head and ruffled up his hair before he spoke up. Or, at least, that's what Apollo thought he was going to do.

The next thing Apollo knows, he's clenching his ears as Will lets out the same sharp, ultrasonic whistle-like sound that he had did only seconds ago. Apollo looked up angrily at Will. Will, on the other hand, had a goofy smile on his face. This confused Apollo.

"What the in the name of _ME_ was that for?!" He practically screamed. Will wasn't fazed by his father's anger. Instead, he just laughed.

"I thought I was the only one who could do that!" Will exclaimed. "Makes sense now, I guess."

Apollo just gave him a strange look before shaking his head, chuckling. "Yup, you're definitely my son. That was damn near awesome." He smiles, and both father and son laugh. After their heart fill chuckle, Apollo's expression became serious again.

"Will...he's not looking too good." Will gave his dad a confused look, before realization hit him.

 _'NICO!'_

Will whipped around with blinding speed and rushed to Nico's side. Will cursed at himself for forgetting about Nico for even a splint second. How could he be so stupid and careless?! Stupid, stupid, stupid-

"Complaining won't get you anywhere." Apollo says, appearing by his side. Will tries to scoop up Nico into his arms, but his hands go right through him. Will jumps back and freezes.

"Like I said, he's not looking too good. He's been losing too much power at a fast rate. If he keeps this up, his heart will give out." Apollo stated with such seriousness, and a straight face. Will looked up frightened at his father.

"Please, Dad! You have to heal him!" Will begged. He couldn't lose Nico. He _couldn't_! If he lost Nico...

Apollo stared at Will for a few moments, like he was debating whether or not he should obey Will's pleading request. Will didn't have time to wait around for an answer. He had to act fast! Every second they wasted was a second closer to Nico's death.

"Dad!" Will screamed.

"Calm down, Will." Apollo ordered, his voice authoritative. Will was instantly silenced. "Did you forget that I stopped time. I did it so that you could save your lover." Apollo stated, a little matter-of-factly at the end. Will's eyes widened in surprised. He did forget about that. How stupid of him. His mind has been an out-of-control tornado since Nico began losing control. He was a medic, for crying out loud! How could he forget to always remain calm in emergency situations? Man, he was such a-

"Stop complaining, Will." Apollo ordered. It was as if he was reading Will's mind. "Look, I know you can do this. You can save him. I _know_ you can. I have complete and utter faith in you." Apollo smiled his blinding smile. "So, relax. Breathe. Here, I'll help you. Let's save him together, yeah?" Will's expression instantly brightened.

"All right, let's do this!" Will said, confidently. Both father and son nodded at each other and got to work.


	28. Chapter 28

After what felt like an eternity, they were finally done. They managed to reign in Nico's uncontrollable powers, and prevented the cabin from sustaining any more lasting damage. Will finished pouring the last of the nectar he had into Nico's mouth. He helped Nico swallow the healing drink of the Gods. He still hadn't regained conscience yet, which worried Will, but his breathing had steadied and his body stopped fading. Will let out a sigh of relief as he drew back from the hunched over position he had been in for the past hour or so. Nico laid with his head in Will's lap, dozing off quietly and contently. Will couldn't resist the urge to run his fingers through those unruly, yet incredibly soft locks of raven hair. Relieve flooded through him as he watched Nico's chest rise and fall evenly. He couldn't even begin to describe what he was feeling at that moment. Relief, happiness, hope, love. Every positive emotion Will could think of was swirling inside of him. He thanked every God there was for the positive turn of events. Will was drained, both physically and emotionally, but he didn't care. Nothing else mattered at that moment then having Nico sleeping soundly in his lap. Apollo had even stopped helping half way through once he saw that Will had the situation perfectly under control, and that there was nothing more he could do. Will turned towards his father, who now stood smiling down at him. His radiant smile blinded him. Like he was looking directly at the sun. Oh, wait...

 _'Note to self. Stop forgetting that my dad is, quite literally, the embodiment of the sun.'_ Will thought to himself.

"You did great, Will." Apollo praised him. Happiness surged through Will at hearing the praise. It made Will proud to be praised by his father.

"I should be the one thanking you, dad. I couldn't have saved Nico without you." And he couldn't have. He couldn't handle the sheer devastation that was Nico's deadly powers. If his father hadn't shown up when he did...

Will shook his head. He didn't want to think about what would have happened had his father not shown up when he did. He looked back up at Apollo, the most grateful smile plastered on his tired face.

"As much as I like getting praise, I believe all of the credit goes to you. You really showed yourself, Will. I'm proud of you. Nico is alive and well because of your refusal to give up. It's all thanks to you that he made it. I don't mind letting you take all of the credit. But don't make a habit out of it, you got that?" Apollo said, pointing a finger at Will. Will laughed and nodded.

"Okay. I'll keep that in mind." Will said with a chuckle at the end. "But still...thank you dad. Thank you for coming to my aid when I needed you the most." Will's voice was filled with so many different emotions that he couldn't describe them. Tears were brimming at the edge of his eyes, but he blinked them away. He didn't want to cry in front of his dad, no matter how badly he wanted to. Just being there for him, chasing all of his fears away, and helping him save the most important person in the whole world to him meant everything to Will. He couldn't stop a smile from forming on his face. That smile grew into a full blown grin, with shinning teeth showing. Will's smile sure was addicting. Apollo couldn't help, but smile at his amazing son.

"All right, all right. Enough with the thanking. You're embarrassing me." Apollo waved him off, trying to hide the small blush that crept up on his cheeks. "I said you're welcome. Now, I really should get going. I can't keep this whole stopping time thing up much longer."

Will's smile faltered a little, but he understood. He knew his dad couldn't stay with him forever.

"Okay." Will wanted to say more, but the words wouldn't form. If he was being honest with himself, he hadn't thought about what his dad would do once all this was over. Will wanted him to stay. Very badly, so. But he knows he can't. Apollo gave him a sad smile, seeming reluctant to leave.

"Alright. My time is up. It was great seeing you, Will. In person, I mean! I see you all the time. Like, from Olympus. Everyday I watch over you, and no, that's not being stalkerish. That's just trying to be a good parent. Well, I can't say I've been a great parent. But I'm trying. I want you to know that, Will. I want to-" Before he could finish his sentence, a lamp that had been floating in mid air crashed to the ground loudly. Will jumped at the sudden sound. It had been so quiet that Will completely forgot that not all objects in the cabin had actually hit the ground during Nico's outburst. The sudden noise scared Apollo as well. Will saw out of the corner of his eye that Apollo had ever so slightly flinch when the lamp shattered on the ground. However, unlike Will, he was quickly able to compose himself.

"Way to ruin the moment." Apollo said with mild irritation. Will turned back to look at his father. Apollo gave him an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry, Will, but I really have to go." It only occured to Will then that Apollo had been trying to stall for time. Will was greatful for that, but he knows their time has run out. Time slowly began to flow floors and walls resumed their process of decaying. Though, it wasn't as severe or rapid as it was before. Will's heart began to beat faster. He felt he had to say something before time ran out completely. He turned to his father, but once again no words would form. Apollo, being the all-knowing God that he is, seemed to have read Will's thoughts before they even formed in his mind.

"Will, listen to me." Apollo began. Will gave him is undivided attention. "Words cannot describe how proud I am of you. You really out did yourself today. I just want you to know that, no matter what happens, you will never let fear or uncertainty cloud your judgement and stop you from chasing your dreams. Don't be afraid to admit your feelings for Nico. Believe me, I know what it's like to feel afraid or uncertain. Unrequited love is one of the most painful types of love their is. I know this because I've heard Aphrodite talk about it, and because I thought the person I onced loved didn't love me back. But I took a chance, and told that person how I felt about them. Turns out, they felt the same way about me. I was glad I took that chance, even if it didn't last long." A sad smile formed on Apollo's face. Will wanted to ask about it, but something stop him from doing it. Instead, he glance down at Nico, who was still sleeping in his lap. A smile formed on his face, but then it turned sad as a thought occured to him.

"Dad...what if Nico isn't the same way? What if he doesn't like..." Will couldn't finish that sentence. Luckily, he didn't have to. Apollo understood. He always understood.

"Trust me, son. He does. You and him are the same, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.'' Hearing those words sent a surge of happiness through Will. He looked back up at his father in shock and happiness.

"H-He does?!" Will couldn't explain how happy he was at finally knowing the truth. He was smiling so hard, it hurt. Apollo gave a small chuckle.

"Yes, he does. So don't wait any longer. Tell him how you feel. But, Will." Apollo paused, making sure he got Will's full attention. "Be patient with him. Try to be understanding. Nico's scared, too. Don't push him too much, okay?" Will nodded. He would never make Nico do or admit to something that made him uncomfortable.

Apollo smiled. "Good. Then I'll be going now. Take care of yourself and Nico."

"Of course. Take care yourself." Will smiled. Before Apollo was about to leave, Will stopped him. "Wait, dad!"

Apollo stopped and looked at him. "Yeah?" Will didn't know why he chose this time to ask the question that had been bothering him, but he was dying to know.

"When you said you've experienced fearing that the person you loved wouldn't love you back, who were you talking about?"

Apollo seemed taken aback by the sudden question, but he gave Will a soft smile. "Zephyros. Another man."

Whatever answer Will had been expecting, that was not one of them. Will was shocked. His father had loved another man? Just like Will? He couldn't believe it. He had never heard of this Zephyros guy, but he also never heard about his dad loving other dudes. Although, now that Will stopped and took a moment to think about it, it made sense. Apollo was one the most handsome Gods there was. Who wouldn't fall for a man like him?

"Umm...I know this must be a shocker to you, but could you not gape at me like that? It's kind of embarrassing." Apollo spoke up, breaking through Will's thoughts. Before he could really stop and think about it, words were spilling out of his mouth.

"A-Another man?! How come I never knew or heard about this?! W-What...like who even is this Zephyros guy? Dad wh-" Before Will could finish his question, Apollo held up a hand, silencing him. He let out a little chuckle at seeing Will's baffled expression.

"That's a story for another time. But for now, I really have to leave. Zeus will have my head if I'm not back. This is goodbye, Will." There was silence between them before Will was suddenly pulled into a tight bear hug by his father. He didn't hesitate to return the hug with the same fierceness. It felt amazing to be in his father's arms, and couldn't help but let his tears fall. He didn't care. He wanted to stay his father arms forever. Where he felt safe and secured and loved. But eventually, they had to separate.

"Goodbye, dad. Thank you"

"You're welcome, Will. Goodbye"

With that, Apollo's body began to shimmer and glow brightly. Will knew to look away. If you saw a God transform into their true form, you woud disintegrate on the spot. Will heard a pop, a bright flash enveloped the room, and then he was alone.


	29. Chapter 29

Time began to flow normally again. Will let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He took this time to examine his cabin. It was in terrible shape. Nico had really done a number on it, but it didn't matter. The cabin could be fixed. Right now, all Will cared about was Nico. He looked back down at the son of Hades dozing off in his lap. He looked so calm and at peace with himself that it made Willl want to cry out in sheer relief and joy. He decided to move Nico to his bed, but before he could do anything, Nico began to stir.

Will was surprised by this. He expected Nico to be out for a while. He never recovered this quickly before. Nico's eyes slowly began to open. His olive eyes peeking out through his lashes. Seeing those eyes brought a smile to Will's tired face. It took a moment for Nico to fully open his eyes and adjust. Once he did, he stared into Will's waiting blue eyes. Will couldn't help but let out a tired laugh.

"Next time, if you're having a bad dream, you can just tell me. That would have been a lot more perferable. You gave me a heart attack, deathboy." Will couldn't stop himself from using the cute nickname he gave to Nico.

Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say.

With lightning speed, Nico was up and at the other side of the cabin. His back was pressed against the wall. His eyes were wide with what looked like absolute fear. Will could see his body shaking. He was heaving, like he couldn't get air into his lungs fast enough. Will got to his feet immediately, confused at Nico's sudden behavior.

"Nico? What's wrong? Are you okay?" Will asked cautiously. He slowly took a step towards Nico, one arm stretched out.

"STOP!" Nico suddenly screamed. Will stopped dead in his tracks. He jumped slightly at Nico's voice. It was raw and ragged. It hurt Will to hear Nico's voice filled with so much pain and fear. He had never seen Nico look so vulnerable and fearful before. He was a mess, and it broke Will's heart to see him like this.

"Nico-"

"NO, S-STOP! Don't come closer!" Nico was pushing his back against the wall with such intensity that Will almost thought the wall behind him would crack. Nico looked like a frightened, cornered animal trying to escape. He kept searching the room, as if he were looking for something important. He would barely look at Will, and when he did, it was with an agonized expression. Like he would rather look at anything else but Will. That really broke Will's heart. He couldn't understand what was wrong with him. Did he not know where he was? Was he confused? Did Will do or say something to frighten him? Nico just had a major power depletion. It would make sense if he was a little shaken up by it. Will tried to make his voice as steady and as calm as he could. The last thing he wanted was to scare Nico further. He took a deep breath and exhaled before speaking softly.

"It's okay, Nico. You're okay. Nothing is going to happen to you. I promise, nothing is going to happen to you." Will tired his best to reassure Nico. Nico still looked like a frighten animal, but he slowly stopped shaking. He didn't relax, though. His body was tense and rigid. Will knows it would take a lot more to calm Nico down. After the whole choatic situation that just occured a few moments ago, Will knew better than to know that a few soft words weren't going to be enough to calm Nico. Still, he made it this far. He was not about to give up now.

"You're in my cabin, remember? Your cabin was destroyed, so Chiron put you in my cabin until yours was rebuilt." If Nico remembered what Will was talking about, he didn't make any indication that he did. Will pressed on.

"You just had a little bad dream. That's all. But it's okay now. Everything is fine. I'm here, Nico." Nico seemed to visibally relaxe at that, but not much. Will also began to calm his racing heart.

 _'Baby steps.'_ Will thought. He dared to take one more step towards Nico. Nico went rigid and pushed himself further against the wall, digging his back into the already decayed wood.

"D-Don't! Stay back...please." Nico begged. Will had never heard Nico beg before. He stopped, staring at Nico with eyes filled with concern.

"It's okay, Nico. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm just trying to help. Please, let me help you." Will barely kept the plea out of his voice. His voice felt shaky. He desperately told himself to stay calm. If Nico sensed his fear, it would only make matters worse. Nico didn't say anything. He didn't move from his spot. Will was getting seriously worried.

"Nico...breathe. You need to breathe. Take a deep breath, and slowly exhale. It will help you calm down." Will followed his own advice, and demonstrated breathing in and exhaling for Nico. He nodded towards Nico to follow his directions, and after a few hesitant moments, Nico took a deep breath in. He held it for a few seconds, and exhaled. His body relaxed slightly, which was a good sign.

"That's it. Try that one more time." Will encouraged. Nico took a deep breath in, held it for a few seconds, and then exhaled. His body relaxed even more. Silence fell between them. The minutes stretched on endlessly. It was killing Will. He couldn't take it. He was just about to break the silence, but Nico beat him to it.

"Will...?"

Will's heart felt like it was going to burst from sheet joy and relief. He let out a low laugh that bordered on hysterical.

"Yeah, Nico. It's me. Are you feeling okay?" Nico seemed to be fishing for the right words to say. A few seconds passed before he finally spoke.

"I...thank you, Will." Nico finally answered. It was the only thing he could manage to say. His throat was dry and raw. It felt like Nico had been screaming at the top of his lungs nonstop for hours on end. And from what he could gather from what Will told him and from surveillancing the now desamated cabin, he probably did. Every time he breathed, it felt like his lungs would burst into flames. He was dehydrated, and but his body didn't hurt. In fact, he felt no pain or aching. He wasn't weak, or even exhausted, either. That wasn't right. Nico's body always ached or felt weak when he uses too much of his powers. And the Apollo cabin wasn't as severly damaged as his cabin was during his first outburst. The fact the cabin was even still standing amazed him. How did Will managed to stop Nico's uncontrollable powers from doing further damage? Even Percy and Jason _combined_ had difficulty trying to subdue Nico's powers. And where were the other campers? How many people were hurt? Were there any casualties?

Nico stopped his thoughts from proceeding any further. He had enough depressing and painful matters to last him for the whole day. For the rest of his existance. He forced himself to look up towards Will. His bright blue eyes were filled with worry and concern, but Nico could see the fear and hurt hidden deep within them. Nico cursed himself for putting Will in danger. For making Will feel hurt or scared. He never wanted Will to feel that way. He never wanted to be the main reason behind it. How could Nico be so weak? To let his stupid, horrifying nightmare get the best of him...again?

"Nico...?" Will suddenly spoke up. The slight hesitation in his voice hurt Nico to his core. It was just another reminder of what Nico had done. Feelings of guilt, regret, sadness, and pain surged through his body. They threatened to consume Nico. Devour him whole until there was nothing left of him. He felt his chest constrict. He couldn't take it. Couldn't handle all of this. He needed to get away. Run away from here as far and as fast as he could.

"I need some fresh air." Nico said, a little rushed. He pushed himself off of the wall he had been leaning against. The swift movement caused him to stagger. Nico saw movement out of the corner of his eye, but before he could say anything, Will was already there. He gripped Nico's forearm to help balance him. The contact forced Nico to look up at Will's suddenly close face. His body went rigid. Images of his nightmare flashed in his mind. Images of blood. Akhyls. The darkness's shadowy grasps. Will's bloody, decaying face...

"LET GO OF ME!" Nico screamed, ripping his arm from Will's grasp. The motion caused him to stumble back until he was up against the wall again. Nico squeezed his eyes shut, but that just made it worse. More images of his nightmare came flooding back in waves. One right after the other. Nico felt his whole body start shaking uncontrollably. He fisted his hands in his hair and bent forward, curling in on himself. He could faintly make out Will calling his name, but he didn't pay any attention to him. He was desperately trying to calm himself down. He didn't want to lose control again. He _can't_ lose control again. Nico wanted to scream. He never wanted to scream so badly in his entire life. His chest felt like it would burst if he didn't let a scream out. But for some reason, he couldn't. That just terrified him more. Nico was so caught up in his own agony that he didn't notice Will had approached him until he felt hands on his arms, trying to straighten him from his bent over position. Nico tried to fight it, but Will was too strong. Nico didn't even realized how strong Will was until he successfully managed to get Nico to stand up right, and removed his clenched hands from his hair. Will held Nico's arms to his chest and forced Nico to look at him.

He couldn't find the strength to look away. Those blue eyes stared at Nico with such intensity that he felt them staring straight into his soul. Piercing through all of the defensive barriers he had build up throughout his life. Like a single arrow striking through a heavily guarded fortress, shattering everyting in its path. They shined with such brilliance that it made his heart forget how to funnction properly. A sky gem that held the world's most precious riches, and it was entirely for Nico to claim. They reached inside Nico. Tore him open, and left him bare for the entire world to see. Nico felt those crystal orbs pulling him out of his prison cell. Pulled him free fromt he shadows that threatened to devour him. To consume every ounce of him until there was nothing left. Will's striking eyes reached out to Nico like a lifeline, and he desperately reached out to grab it. To grab hold and never let go. To allow them to break the shackles that bind him and set him free. Free from all of the pain and misery he was drenched in. Those precious gems showered Nico with acceptance and hope, two things Nico had never fully received in life. Nico reached for that hope. To be cleansed of his sins, and have his soul purified by their heavenly rays. Those eyes promised warmth and safety, and Nico let himself believe in them.

Nico wanted to say something, but he was silenced when Will's lips crashed onto his. The sudden action caught Nico completely off guard. It took his brain a few seconds to register what was happening before he returned the kiss wholeheartedly. The kiss was slow, but full of passion. Will's lips fit perfectly on Nico's. Like two puzzle pieces joining together. They were soft. Nico's eyes slip shut as he savoured every second of those heavenly lips. Will's body was flushed up against him as he wrapped one arm around Nico's waist and kept the other hand on his neck. Nico reached up and intertwined his fingers in Will's golden hair. Time slowed down. Nico's heart stopped, then contuined beating rapidly. So many emotions were running through me that he couldn't explain. But he didn't care. He didn't care about a damn thing. He loved Will. He really, truly, deeply loved Will. And now he knew Will loved him back. Nico didn't know happiness like he did at that moment. Nico didn't know love like he did at that moment. All fo Nico's fear, doubts, and pain dissapeared in a blink of a eye. Nico felt Will smile into the kiss, which made his heart swell with happiness.

Unfortunately, the need for oxygen won out and they both pulled back. They were breathing heavily, but they had big, stupid grins on their faces. Will's cheeks were flushed, and Nico never thought he could look even more beautiful than he already does. They stared at each other, trying to catch their breaths. Before either one of them could say anything, a voice spoke up from the door.

"Well, looks like you too have everything under control here."

Nico and Will snapped their gazes towards the sound of the voice. Leaning against the cabin's door was Percy, hands in his pockets. Standing next to him was Jason with his arms crossed over his chest. Both demigods had smirks on their faces. Nico couldn't enough hate into his glare. Mostly because he was too shocked at seeing them. How did he not notice they were there? How long had they been there?

"Yeah, I think so too. Better go tell Chiron and the others that everything is okay here." This time it was Jason who spoke up.

"P-Percy! Jason! I didn't know you guys were there." The stutter in Will's voice was obvious. His cheeks were still slightly blushed. Nico thought that was adorable.

"Oh, don't mind us. We just got here." Percy said. Nico could have sworn he heard Percy mutter the word "unfortunately" under his breath.

"Well, since we have everything under control, you guys can leave." Nico stated. Percy looked appauled. Jason looked surprisingly at Nico, but recovered and gave him a genuine smile.

"Geez, Nico. We just came to see if you were okay. If you wanted to be alone with your boyfrie-I mean Will!" Percy barely stopped himself. "You could have just said so." Jason elbowed him in the side and glared at him. He started shoving Percy out of the door before he could say anything else.

"We hear you, Nico! We'll go tell Chiron and the others that you guys are alright!" Jason shouted as he retreated. Nico couldn't help but laugh at those idiots. Nico's laugh was pretty contaigous because Will started laughing soon after.

"Those guy are so weird." Will mentioned after the laughing had died down. Nico rolled his eyes.

"You have no idea."


End file.
